Dancing Away With His Heart
by leoslady4ever
Summary: Laxus sees a beautiful woman dancing and decides to make her his own. He makes a bet to have her in 3 weeks. The only problem is - he doesn't know who she is. He embarks on a journey, intending only to win a bet, but he will find much more than that. Not for the little ones. Adult language and lemon in the future. Picture made for this story by and used with permission from Shynii!
1. Who's That Girl

Picture provided with permission from **Shynii**! Thanks so much for letting me use it! Check Shynii on deviantart! Incredible artist! You can find the link for her picture on deviantart at the bottom of this page!

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_Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail!_

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**Chapter 1: Who's That Girl?**

The day had just started and Laxus was already wishing it would end. He had been here for barely 30 minutes and Bixlow was already hounding him with the same old tune._Shit - was he ever going to shut up?! _"C'mon Laxus! You gotta come with me!" Bixlow begged. Laxus just shook his head and sighed, "How many times do I have to say it - just drop it!" "I'm telling you man - you gotta see this girl. She's fucking hot!" Bixlow was so excited with the idea of showing her off to his best friend. He didn't really care how he got Laxus there. "Bixlow, I swear, I'm gonna knock your teeth out in about 5 seconds!" Bixlow wasn't quite done needling him - "Look, you gotta eat, right? So why don't we go; you can check her out while you eat! It's perfect! I'm telling you..."

"Godammit! If I go, will you shut the hell up?!" Laxus finally screamed. Bixlow was practically beaming now that he realized that he'd won - "Hells yeah! See you at 7!" Laxus sighed and slumped in his seat. _What the hell has gotten into to him? _He couldn't imagine getting this worked up over a chick. Sure, he'd seen some seriously hot women before, but none had ever caused him to act as irritating as his best friend was. This was NOT what he had planned for tonight...

**LATER...**

The sun was slowing sinking by the time Bixlow returned to drag Laxus to see this mystery girl. Laxus had no idea what to expect and no idea where they were headed, so he just quietly followed his friend, his completely frustrating friend. They walked a short while before stopping in front of a large building with a sign that simply said CLEO. Bixlow was starting to act even more antsy - _I just don't get it_, thought Laxus.

They walked through the doors and a lady greeted them and directed them to a table near one of the back corners. There was music softly playing and the lights were rather dim. Laxus was getting a bit curious now. He looked over at Bixlow with a smirk and said "This place has date written all over it. Is there something you wanna tell me?" Bixlow burst out laughing and replied "Sorry man, you're just not my type". They joked around for a few more minutes until a woman sauntered over to take their order. She was dressed in what looked almost like a genie costume. Laxus sent the woman on her way with their request;he looked over to see Bixlow checking the time and wondered again what he had gotten himself into.

Suddenly, the lights began to fade until Laxus could barely see the table in front of him. He could hear Bixslow scooting his chair and then a voice rang out through the restaurant. "Good evening! Thank you for joining us tonight. We have something very special planned for you." As the voice trailed off, a light grew showing a stage at the front of the restaurant and a single woman lying in the center. Then the music began and the beat filled the room... ... ... ... like a heartbeat. Slowly, the woman began to move, her body flowing through the movements. She was stunning, dressed in a sheer sky blue costume made just for this type of dancing. Her top was like a bikini, little jewels sparkling around the outer edges. She had sleeves stretching from just above her elbow down to her wrist, secured by a tiny strap on her middle finger. The pants, if you could even call them that, flared out from her hip and tightened again at her ankles. Every time she moved, her pants would gift a perfect view of creamy white skin. A veil completed her ensemble, keeping her face a mystery.

Laxus almost choked on his drink when her hips raised up from the floor and her body began moving in waves to the music. It was as if she were making love right there on the stage. He gripped the arms of his chair and stared transfixed. Slowly the woman rose from the floor, dancing sensuously. She rolled her hips with her eyes closed as if feeling the burn of passion. Her arms danced along her body, and ascended up past her head. Her hips kept their rhythm, swaying and rocking from side to side, in a circle, then side to side again. Laxus was so enthralled with this beauty that he forgot about Bixlow; he forgot the restaurant. He forgot everything but the lithe body moving fluidly across the stage. It was as if he was the only one watching and she was dancing just for him.

The blonde dipped her head back, allowing her body to bend in half, and planted her palms on the floor. Then, she lifted one of her legs straight up before allowing the other leg to join it in the air. Gently, she separated them into a split, still holding herself up with her arms. _Holy shit! I can't believe it, _Laxus thought, _she's so agile_. But she wasn't finished. She swung her leg down to join her hands and ended in a split on the floor, immediately laying her head back onto her leg. With the music coming to an end, she rolled her legs together and rose to her knees. She dipped her head as the last notes played, and the lights came up. There was a brief silence and then the restaurant went wild, clapping for the young woman. She stood to her feet and gracefully bowed before moving off past the curtains.

Laxus was speechless and slowly became aware of Bixlow staring at him with a look of supreme satisfaction. "So, how completely awesome am I for making you come with me?" Bixlow questioned smartly. Laxus looked over at him and gave him his trademark smirk and said, "You are hereby reinstated to best friend status. That woman...damn she is fucking hot!" Bixlow laughed "Figured you'd like watching her. Told you she was sexy!" Laxus shook his head, "I intend to do a lot more than just watch that girl. That body of hers would look mighty nice in my bed." Bixlow rolled his eyes "Yeah, okay. And exactly how is that going to happen huh? You don't even know who she is." Laxus just smiled smugly and replied, "Leave that to me." Bixlow knew how arrogant Laxus could be so he thought to himself, _I might be able to use this to come out on top here. _He chuckled to himself and lazily looked at his friend - "I believe this calls for a wager. I bet you 1,000,000 jewels that you can't find her and get her in your bed in a month." Laxus's smiled got even wider. _Oh he loved a challenge... _"I accept that bet, but I won't need a month. I'll have her within 3 weeks." He looked towards the stage and thought, _I always get what I want._

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**_A/N: Here's the link for Shynii's pic: shynii. deviantart art/Dancing-Away-With-His-Heart-LaLu-Request-36777 1057_**


	2. On My Way To Finding You

_So sorry for taking forever to update. Ran into a major case of "can't think of a damn thing". _

_Thanks so much to my very first reviewer _Linwellin! _I'm so excited and the lovely blonde in my story will be revealed right about...NOW! :)_

_Thanks to all of you who favorited my story and those of you who are following it. I shall endeavor to make sure it doesn't suck! _

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I don't own Fairy Tail. If I did, Laxus would have a cute little Exceed named Noel...like me...hehehe

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**Chapter 2: On My Way To Finding You**

Three days later finds Laxus in much lower spirits. He was still quite certain he could pull this off and win the bet and a night with the blonde bombshell. He just wasn't expecting it to take this long to find her. Correction: he had found out absolutely nothing about her. He didn't even know her name. He had been back to the restaurant, hoping to see her dance and then catch her without her costume, but she hadn't been back to dance at all. Then he decided it couldn't hurt to hit the manager of the restaurant up for the info. Of course that had backfired - the man simply refused and glared at him as if he was a perv. _Okay, maybe I am kinda pervy, but nowhere close Gramps! _

He was also pissed because he'd gotten almost no sleep at all because of that girl. He'd been having the hottest dreams and he was horny as hell. They always started the same way - she'd be dancing closer and closer to him, her hands running all over her body. Then she'd reach her hands out to him and push him into a chair. She'd dance closer until she hovered over his lap, rolling her hips. Then he'd grab her hips, pressing her snuggly against his body, growling at the sensation. She'd lean all the way back, stretching her arms out and arching her back and then rising again until her face was level with his. Then he'd reach to take her veil off and the dream would disappear and he'd wake up. It was damned frustrating.

He was currently at the guild, thinking a drink would help. He had to think of something, some way to find this girl. He wasn't really sure how he was going to do that seeing how he couldn't even get that bastard at the restaurant to tell him the next time she'd be dancing. _Total cock block - that's what that guy is! Fucking uptight bastard. _Yeah he was moody as hell. Thankfully it wasn't loud like it ususally was in the guild. He might be able to come up with a new plan if it stayed that way. Suddenly the doors flew open and Team Natsu came wandering in. _Well damn, there goes the peace and quiet. _

**Laxus's POV**

I watched as Blondie came up to the bar and sat on the stool beside mine. She dropped her bag to the floor as Mirajane walked over. She was just about to speak to her when the sound of fighting broke out. _Those idiots are at it again. _"I'm gonna kick your ass Ice Princess!" Natsu was shooting fire straight at Gray's head. Gray dodged it easily, yelling "Nice try you flamin' ass-tard!"

Lucy rolled her eyes and looked again at Mirajane. "Hi Mira, can I have a strawberry milkshake?" Mira smiled quickly and nodded her head. As she worked on Lucy's order, the blonde looked over at me and said "Hi Laxus." I grunted "Hey" back to her and she cocked her eyebrow up at me. "Bad day?" she asked, looking slightly sympathetic. "Bad week" I explained crankily. _She had no idea_. Mirajane came back, handing Lucy her shake, as she giggled at me. I glared at her slightly and went back to my beer.

We all tried to ignore the Fire Fairy's fight with the Frosty Freak, but it was starting to get on my damn nerves. "Oi, you dumbasses! Quick fucking around!" I yelled. They glanced over at me, both giving me the finger and went back to fighing. _Irritating bastards. _I started to get up, but then noticed Erza headed towards them and smirked. _This ought to be fun_. She walked up to them and smacked their heads together. Made my day to see them sink to the floor hehehe... "No more fighting!" Erza demanded, giving them the evil eye. "Yes ma'am!" they agreed, hugging each other. _Stupid pansies_.

I turned back around and realized Mirajane and Lucy had been discussing Team Natsu's latest mission. And of course, their lack of a full reward due to the antics of the other three. Lucy's head was down on the bar and Mira was patting her head. "Poor thing" Mira commiserated, "how long before your rent is due?" Lucy frowned and replied "A week! I'm going to have to find a solo job to cover it. I'll never get it in time if I go with those destructive ding dongs!" I snorted at her description of them, as she got up to look over the job requests.

**Lucy's POV**

"Okay, what to pick, what to pick..." I mumbled, "No, this one would get me killed! Maybe this one? No, not enough jewels..." A loud crash interrupted my musings and I turned to see that Natsu had been sent crashing into the bar. I snickered and went back to my search. Not even 30 seconds later I hear Natsu yelling, "Hey what's this Luce?" I looked over at him and couldn't believe my eyes. _That bastard's digging in my bag! _

"What the hell are you doing Natsu?! Give me that!" I screeched. He ran from me with a scrap of blue in his hands. "C'mon Lucyyyy - what is it?" Everyone was staring at us at this point. _Shit, they weren't supposed to be seeing that! _"Don't you know anything about privacy?!" I screamed chasing him. Suddenly he threw it to Gray, who seemed to be intently trying to figure out what it was. "Hey, I think it's a m..." Gray started as Erza snatched it out of his hands, "I wasn't done with that Erza!" She held it up to her face and mused "It's a veil, right Lucy?"

I huffed as I ran up to Erza and quickly grabbed it to put it away. "Um...yes?" I said, blushing. "What's a veil?" Natsu asked. "You flaming idiot - it covers your face like a mask!" Gray snidely informed him. "Who you calling idiot, you Ice Monkey?!" He screamed, stomping. "Hey Lucy, why do you have a veil?" Erza asked. "Umm...well...um..i-it's a costume...for a party." I stammered. Erza's face lit up and she demanded "Where is this party?" _Oh shit...think Lucy...think! _"Oh Erza, i-it's not really anytime soon...I g-got the costume for H-halloween."

"Oh well, go try it on for us and let us see you in it!" Mira exclaimed excitedly. _No no no...I gotta get out of here!_ "Um..actually...I can't right now." I said running up to the bar to retrieve my bag. I glanced at Laxus - he probably thought I was an idiot now. Damn, he had a shocked look on his face. Yep, he thinks I'm an idiot. "I..uh...gotta go now. Bye!" I yelled as I ran out of the guild. I ran for a couple of blocks then, seeing no one following me, slowed to a walk. Sigh. _That is the last time I bring my bag with me to the guild. Too many nosy damn people. I suppose it could have been worse - he could have taken out my pants. _I snickered.

**Laxus's POV**

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Erza was holding a veil that looked exactly like the one THAT GIRL wears! I could feel my mouth hanging open. I knew I must look like a fish, but I couldn't seem to stop. I was shocked...sweet, innocent Lucy Heartfilia is the girl I'd been dreaming about for days. _She's the one making me so hot I can't even sleep. What the fuck! She was right in front of me the whole time. Shit, I never would have thought it was someone I already knew. _It changed nothing - I was still going to have her. I just had to think of a different way to do this. I couldn't tell anyone in the guild what I was doing. They'd have my ass for sure for this, but it could work if I convince her to keep it a secret. _Yeah, now to get a mission to share with Blondie. I was gonna save her from her rent problems. One step closer to victory..._


	3. Come Away With Me

_Thanks so much for all the reviews on the last chapter and for waiting so patiently. It's been crazy busy lately, but I was determined to get you guys this next chapter...so enjoy!_

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_As always, the amazing Hiro Mashima owns all things beautiful in the world of Fairy Tail. Sad really - I'd love to see Lucy save everyone's ass just once :)_

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**CHAPTER 3: COME AWAY WITH ME**

**Lucy's POV**

I was trudging home, cheeks still stained a bit red, when I heard the sound of someone running up behind me. I turned, my hand on my keys, and stared stunned at the man behind me.

"Hey Lucy," he said "I was hoping I'd catch you before you made it home."

"Really? Why?" I questioned, confused. _This is weird. What could Laxus possibly want with me?_

"I was thinking," the blonde man replied, with a hint of a smile, "we could go on a job together." Okay, now I was really puzzled. I mean, sure we're all good now after his "I'm taking over the guild, cause you're all weak." crap but it's not like we're best buds or anything._ This is really strange._

"What made you decide that?" I asked somewhat suspiciously.

"Look I'm just trying to play nice - I heard what you said to Mirajane about your rent, and I thought I could help." He stated, attempting to look angelic. Didn't he realize that made me even more suspicious?

"First, what's with the Mr. Innocent look - and second, what's the job?" I inquired.

He deadpanned, "What? I could be innocent." "Yeah, when pigs fly!" I retorted "And you still haven't told me about the job."

"Fine then - the job's not too rough. We go to a casino for a couple days, catch some thieves, come home. Nothing to it." He said. "So, you in?"

I tapped my finger on my lips "Hmmm...why do I get the feeling you're leaving something out? Hmm...I wonder..." He smirked at me and said "Killjoy."

I laughed and shook my head. This conversation wasn't going anywhere close to the way I'd imagined it would. I would have thought it would be awkward, but I was actually kind of enjoying myself. He's not nearly as difficult as I thought he would be. Still, I really don't know about going on a mission alone with him though. As if he could hear my internal debate, he added, "This casino also has pools and hot tubs. Sounds really relaxing...especially for someone who could use a break from her destructive team mates. It would be like getting paid to have fun."

Damn...it did sound good. And I really needed the money too. Oh wait... "Um... Laxus, how much is the reward?" He smirked again and said "Oh just 400,000 jewels." My eyes went large as I thought of paying my rent and all the shopping I could do. He cocked an eyebrow and asked again, "So...you in?"

I still wasn't sure this was the best plan, but I had to admit I was starting to lean towards "Hell yeah!". First though, I wanted to know why he'd take such a low paying job. I mean for an S-class mage like him, he could take a job with a much higher reward than that. So I asked. "I told you..." he grinned, "I'm nice." I snorted and shook my head "Whatever. Fine, I'm in. When do we leave?"

He called out as he turned to leave, "Train leaves at 10 am. I'll get the tickets. Don't be late Blondie." I just rolled my eyes and yelled "You're blonde too baka!"

**Train Station - the next morning**

**Laxus's POV**

I had just gotten to the train station and now sat waiting for Lucy. I couldn't believe how well this was working out. I hadn't been all that sure she'd agree to leave her team and come on a mission with just me. It was all thanks to her team pissing her off. _Gotta love when it all comes together._ I was in a great mood - first time in days I hadn't had that fucked up dream that stopped once everything was getting good. Finally I'd gotten to see her, not the mystery girl any longer, but Lucy. And damn it was hot! It went the same way as all the others, but this time when I reached to take off her veil, the dream continued. And there was Lucy, staring into my eyes, mouth parted slightly. She was so fucking sexy. I pulled her down to me and she slanted her mouth over mine, biting and licking my lips. She fisted her hands in my hair and started rubbing her ass over my lap. And fuck, I was done with the playing around. I reached up to her top and ripped it right down the middle. Her breathing spiked as I pulled her forward and sucked a pert little nipple into my mouth. Her hands gripped my head moaned deep in her throat. So I tugged harder, all the while running my hand up her...

"Hey Laxus! Laxus?! You in there?" I saw Lucy's face inches away from my own. I blinked. Sad really, just moment ago my face was in a much more interesting place. "Yeah, sorry. Just thinking." I replied sheepishly. _Way to get caught Laxus._ She gave me a look that screamed "Weirdo!" and sat beside me. I glanced over at her, still marveling over the fact that she was in fact the star of my newest porn-worthy dreams. _Amazing how one day can change how you see someone._

About that time, we heard the station announce our ride. We gathered our things and I handed Lucy her ticket. She smiled with a thanks and headed off to the train. I had to admit, it was really fun watching her walk, hips swaying from side to side. I reminded myself to raise my eyes - wouldn't do to get caught staring at her ass. Especially before we even left Magnolia. No that wouldn't do at all.

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_**A/N: **__I just thought I'd throw an idea out there - if any of you would like to draw a picture specifically for this story, I'd love it. I was thinking one of her in her outfit, maybe straddling his lap. Let me know what you think and if you'd be interested in doing it. Thanks for bearing with me on this chapter. Took a lot longer to update than I had wanted, but at least I managed to knuckle down and get it. lol _


	4. Not What I Expected

_Thanks to all my reviewers and followers. You guys are awesome! And special thanks to __**XxShyxX**__ who has helped me hash out these crazy ideas so it all makes sense! _

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_I do not own Fairy Tail or any of it's delicious characters. If I did, Jellal would have totally rocked Erza's world by now._

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**CHAPTER 4: NOT WHAT I EXPECTED**

**Lucy's POV**

The train was moving along down the tracks toward our destination. Laxus and I had chosen seats in the back, with him sitting across from me. Looked like we'd have about 3 hours till we arrived, so I decided now was a perfect time to get some answers. I knew there was more to this job than he'd told me.

"So, seeing how I am now trapped on this train and cannot escape your clutches...care to be more specific on this job we're doing?" I asked.

"You know - you got a lot more sass than you used to" he quipped, sounding surprised.

"That generally happens when no one's trying to shoot lightning up my ass." I deadpanned.

Quite surprisingly, Laxus burst out laughing. I couldn't help but join him. I mean, that has to be the first time I'd ever seen that kind of reaction from him. I had seriously begun to wonder if he even had a sense of humor. I was pretty pleased with the fact that he, in fact, did possess one, however rusty it might be. I was also feeling just a tad puffed up about being the one who caused it. _Oh hell, now I sound like him._

"Anyway, the job?" I asked again. "Okay, so here's the deal. The casino goes through a lot of cash every night, and it all ends up in their safe. Now the safe's not the problem. The problem is the money pickup to go to the bank every couple days. That's when they're getting hit, during the transport from the safe to the armored truck. Their security can't handle this because the thieves are mages. That's where we come in." Laxus explained.

I thought over this "Still feels like you're holding something back." "Not just a pretty face, are we?" He smirked "Truth is I wasn't sure you'd like this next part."

"Oh that sounds sooo encouraging..." I responded sarcastically, fighting to keep the blush off my face. It wasn't every day Laxus Dreyar says that I was pretty.

"Crabby much?" He retorted "Bottom line is the casino wants us there to take care of the problem, without looking like we're there to take care of the problem."

I cocked my head suspiciously, "What does that even mean?" I watched as he struggled to hide his amusement, saying "It means that we need to act like we're on a happy little vacation together until it's time to kick some thieving ass." I narrowed my eyes, "I take it you don't mean as brother and sister." He shook his head, smirking like the pervert he is.

"Now, it all makes sense...you're kind of a devious little bastard, aren't you?" I muttered. He just chuckled as I let my head smack the seat behind me. "So what does this vacation entail _dear_?" I tossed out saucily. His chuckle grew to a full fledged laugh. He was really starting to edge into Lucy Kick territory. _Hmmm...wonder if I could get away with it? There's lots of people on the train, plenty of witnesses. Nah, I really didn't want to get fried today. I was having such a good hair day, and that would just piss me off._

He seemed to realize that he was getting on my nerves and quickly shut off his laugh. _Nice to know he's not the dullest crayon in the box_. "Wow," he said, feigning offense "I was just going to suggest making use of the pools, hitting some of the gaming tables, and some dancing. Such a dirty mind Lucy."

What...a...putz! "I'm not the one with a dirty mind - we all know you're a pervert. I'm pretty sure it's genetic." I sputtered..."Wait, what do you mean - dancing?"

He simply smirked at me again. "You'll see." I glared at him, then thought..._More flies with honey_. I smiled sweetly at him and batted my eyes and said "Can't you tell me now?" He gave me another smug look "Not a chance." It was time to bring out the big guns. I tipped my head down a bit with a pout, still fluttering my lashes at him. He took one look at me and howled. With his arms holding his sides, he choked out, "Not bad Lucy. Not bad at all." I immediately brightened up and said "So you're going to tell me now?"

He leaned back, trying to catch his breath. "Nope." I slumped in my seat again feeling defeated and muttered, "Bastard."

**Laxus's POV**

I couldn't believe I was enjoying myself this much. Lucy was surprisingly witty. _Its been a long time since anyone outside of the Raijinshū has made me laugh that much._ If I was being completely honest, it had been a long time since I had laughed that much, period. Her pout was seriously cute, but it was funny that she would try that out on me. I wouldn't have imagined her to be this brassy. _I'd figured she'd be nervous around me or scared even since we 're alone. After all, I did have Evergreen turn her to stone that one time. _She had all the reason in the world to hate me or at the very least mistrust me. But it seemed as if she held no grudge against me.

The corner of my mouth twitched as I looked over to see her staring out the window, still grumbling to herself. She was nothing like I had expected. I'm not sure exactly what I'd been expecting, but her sitting across from me being snide one minute and then flirty the next definitely wasn't it. She looked so small too, especially compared to me. But I had seen before this girl could pack quite a punch. She may have been defeated in the Grand Magic Games, but it damn sure wasn't for lack of power. I had been shocked watching her that day. I knew she wasn't a lightweight before then because of her victory over Bixlow, but that day at the Games, it was beyond belief. She would have easily won if it hadn't been for Flare's guild cheating. She definitely wasn't the weakling I had accused her of being so long ago. Still I hadn't taken any chances and chosen a simple job for us to do. I had figured it would be easy to handle, and there was no chance that she'd get hurt. That wouldn't win me any points with her. Not to mention the fact that her team would certainly be gunning for me if I brought her back in any condition other than the way she'd left. Besides, nothing could put an end to my sexy plans like me allowing her to get busted up.

Still, I was beginning to think that this was going to be a very fun few days. I'd get to see her in that little scrap of cloth she called a bathing suit, ply her with drinks, and then press her body against mine while we danced. _Oh I'm going to enjoy this job more than any of the others I'd been on. That cheeky little wench had all but guaranteed it._

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_**A/N:** **Hope you enjoyed their battle of wits. See you in the next chapter!**_


	5. Just Getting Started

_You guys have been beyond amazing, making this story a favorite, following it, and leaving reviews to let me know how I'm doing. I will also apologize for taking so long to update. I will do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again. Also, special thanks to my pal __**XxShyxX**__. You are awesome!_

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_As always, I do not own Fairy Tail. If I did, I would have all the smexy men lose their shirts the way Gray does._

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**CHAPTER 5: JUST GETTING STARTED**

**Laxus's POV**

We had arrived at the train station a short time ago and I found myself thoroughly enjoying my companion's reactions. It seemed Lucy couldn't walk any distance without her eyes being drawn to something else. Her mouth was in a constant state of flux, opening and closing with her amazement at each sight this bustling town had to offer. I had been here before and so knew what to expect, all the people, all the casinos and hotels, the numerous restaurants. Everything boasted something new and different. I really hadn't prepared myself for Lucy being so enthralled. I hated to stop her fun, but we had an appointment with the casino manager and I didn't want to be late. Lucy, on the other hand, seemed to have forgotten all about it in her excitement. I chuckled to myself and reached out to grab her arm. She looked at me quizzically and cocked her head a bit. I felt my lips hike up a bit at the corners and said, "We really have to get moving. You know...the job we're supposed to be doing..." I watched in amusement as her cheeks flushed. She bit her lip and squeaked, "Oops...umm...I may have forgotten that for a minute..." I just shook my head and pulled her along, "No kidding."

We walked for another 10 minutes, before arriving at the entrance to the Sanguine Heart Hotel and Casino. I looked over just in time to see Lucy's stunned expression. "This place is huge!" she exclaimed. I followed her eyes up the mirrored walls, towards the top of the building. "Not too big," I told her, "Only 10 floors I think." She quirked her eyebrow up, "I take it you've been here before?" I nodded briefly, my eyes flashing mischievously, "Yep. You'll be singing my praises for weeks, maybe even months for bringing you here." She gave me a wholly unimpressed look and proceeded to open the door and sashay towards the front desk. _Oh, I do love to watch that fine ass walk away._ I quickened my steps and sidled up beside her to inform the man behind the counter of our appointment with the manager. The slight man said, "Of course" and quickly called ahead for us. We followed the balding man quietly upstairs to a brightly lit room and were instructed to wait. Lucy, of course, smiled pleasantly to the man ,thanking him sweetly. We didn't have to wait long before being joined by a tall man, dressed rather sharply in a dark suit. He stepped forward and reached his hand out towards me and then Lucy, giving each of us a solid shake.

"Hello, I am Jeffrey Warden, the casino manager." He introduced himself and continued, "I understand you are here about our request?" I bobbed my head and replied, "We're from Fairy Tail. I am Laxus Dreyar and this is my partner, Lucy Heartfilia."

"Good." Mr. Warden stated rather shortly, gesturing for us to sit back down. "Now that the pleasantries have been observed, let me explain about the thieves we require assistance with. They call themselves Royal Flush. I suppose they find it ironic or some other such nonsense." He began pacing and continued, "From what we have been able to ascertain, the entire group seems to possess some form of magic, which has made it necessary to hire you. My guards simply can't handle it. We have also recently come to realize that these crooks are somehow keeping tabs on things here, so we will need you to pose as guests here for a day or so to conceal your true purpose. If they know you are mages sent here to catch them, they are less likely to show. I need this problem taken care of quickly, efficiently, and as quietly as possible."

"That won't be a problem." I proudly smirked. Lucy cleared her throat and asked, "When is the next scheduled pickup?" The manager briefly glanced in her direction and replied, "We will be doing the transfer tomorrow afternoon, at 4. We usually do a drop every few days, sometimes every other day if we have been very busy. I will have all the details sent to your room after you are checked in, so that you may study it at your leisure. In the meantime however, you will need to be seen together utilizing all the things the Sanguine Heart has to offer, the pools, the games, the spa, the beach, dancing. The more you show yourselves, the less suspect you will seem, and the more likely the thieves will show themselves." Mr. Warden stepped toward the door, waving his hand at us, "I have set you up in one of our best suites. Simply check in under the name Mr. Sanders. You will be provided the agreed upon amount of money for use in the casino and such. I will make our guards aware of your arrival and inform them of your assistance tomorrow. Remember, no one else is to know the true nature of your visit; you are simply a young couple on a short vacation."

We found our way back to the front desk and quickly checked in, the aging attendant calling for a porter. A uniformed man came bustling over reaching for our bags, as I draped my arm around Lucy's shoulder. Just as expected, her head whipped around to spear me with a "What the hell do you think you're doing?" look. I leaned into her, trailing my nose up her neck and spoke softly into her ear, "You're supposed to be acting like you're mine." I could feel her shoulders tense up; I knew she wouldn't like the way I worded that, which of course was exactly why I did it._ It's so much fun getting a rise out of her._ I was silently congratulating myself while I followed the bellhop, Lucy snugly tucked under my arm; I should have known she wouldn't let that slide. If I had been smarter, I would have prepared for this possibility, but honestly, who could ever predict how that woman would react. She was sweet one moment, then sassy as hell the next. Happy, then mad. Pouting cutely to get what she wants, then cussing me like a sailor. _Not exactly my brightest plan poking the sleeping dragon like that in public_; I freely admit it. I also finally learned what that Fire Freak was saying about Scary Lucy.

It didn't happen right away. In fact, she furthered my delusion by slipping her arm around my waist and leaning her head into my shoulder. She let me bask in my assumed victory all the way to our suite, as I dumbly assumed that was the end of it. The man routinely lead us into the room and deposited our bags just inside the door. I reluctantly released Lucy and was in the process of finding some jewels for a tip, when I happened to glance over at the feisty blonde. What I saw there worried me to no end; her lips curled up flashing a hint of teeth. _This can't be good._ Then, out of nowhere she pasted a ridiculously sweet smile on her face and said, "Laxy-poo, you didn't forget your pills did you? Cause honestly, it's no fun at all when it ends after 3 minutes." My jaw dropped as she shook her head and pouted cutely. I felt my face heating up and chanced a look at the bellhop. He looked between the two of us and waved his hands frantically in front of him, stuttering, "N-no worries sir. I-I don't need a tip." He ran out of the room as if the hounds of hell were after him, slamming the door in his haste. It took no more than a split second before Lucy burst out laughing, clutching her stomach with her arms. I, of course, was slightly less amused. It's not everyday your manhood gets so openly questioned in front of a perfect stranger. In fact, that had never happened to me before. It made me all the more determined to prove this brazen female wrong.

I scowled at her almost laying on the floor, "That is not funny." She heaved as she looked up at me, tears in her eyes, "Y-yes...it was...oh my God...my sides... hahahahaha!" I couldn't decide whether to skin her alive or praise her for her deviousness. I had to admit she had definitely gotten me. _Damn, I just never know what to expect from her crazy ass._ Now the question became...do I let it go or do I retaliate? _Oh who am I kidding; that's not even a question._ I could see some definite possibilities here. "Luuuucyyy..." I called as I slowly began walking towards her, my face sporting a smirk once again. She must have heard some thing in my voice, because she quickly stood, edging back away from me with her hands in front of her. "Laxus, why are you looking at me like that?" she asked nervously. "Now, now Lucy, you didn't really think I'd let that go unpunished, did you?" I cocked me head to side, chuckling quietly.

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_**A/N: Having never stayed at a casino before, I may get some things wrong. If that happens, please let me know or just blame it on my wacky imagination. Love you guys!**_


	6. Caught Up In You

_I have to say I love seeing all those amazing reviews; it's great knowing that you guys are feeling the same way about my story that I am! You guys are the best! Thanks also to those of you who have decided to follow and/or favorite me and my story! Love you a million times over! **XxShyxX**, you're still the best. Love talking this story out with you! Your advice is pure gold!_

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_Unfortunately Hiro Mashima still refuses to let me have Fairy Tail, so as always it belongs to him._

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**CHAPTER 6: CAUGHT UP IN YOU**

**Lucy's POV**

_Oh shit...oh shit... _Watching his suddenly devious looking face, all I could think was _oh shit_. I had been having so much fun just a second ago, and now I was slowly inching myself away from him. I had no idea what he was planning, but that smirk left me with the impression that it was going to be nothing good. There was no talking him out of this, so the obvious answer was to run. Which is what I promptly decided to do. I didn't think or plan; I simply spun on my heels and ran. I whipped around the couch and out of what appeared to be the sitting room, with Laxus hot on my trail. I zoomed around the dining table and Laxus rushed up on the other side. We both stopped briefly, our eyes connecting with each other over the table between us.

"Give it up Blondie...you know you got nowhere to go." He taunted, his eyes flashing in excitement. It was plenty obvious he was enjoying himself. To be quite honest, I was actually having fun too. Why on earth I'd find it fun to be chased by the massive dragon slayer was anyone's guess. _Maybe I'm just disturbed. Yeah, I'm sure that's it_. I shook my head slowly, my lips quirking up, "Not a chance." I didn't wait to see his reaction, but once again took off, my hair flying out past my shoulders. I could hear him beating feet behind me, so I pushed myself into the next room as quickly as I could. I stopped once again in the far doorway of the small kitchenette, turning to see him slowing down to stalk me. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my mouth. _Why is the sight of him like this so agreeable to me?_

He chuckled darkly in response, "You know you deserve this Lucy." The words spoken in such a way seemed to dance their way across my skin. I could feel goosebumps pop up everywhere, and my face flushed with my awareness. His smirk climbed even higher as his watched my reaction. _Definitely time to haul ass_. I bolted from that room, Laxus right behind me again. I knew it was only a matter of time before he caught me; each time I ran, I could feel him edging closer and closer. I raced through another doorway only to stop as my eyes got wide. _Oh shit_...I turned around to go back through the entrance and escape, but it was too late. He ran through the opening and pounced on me, both of us crashing onto the bed. _Oh this is bad,_ I thought as he straddled my hips with his muscled legs. Before I could even think to react, he had my arms stretched above my head, his face suddenly very close to mine.

I was well and truly trapped; I quickly decided that reasoning with him sounded like a solid plan. I may have discounted that option before, but that was before he had my ass pinned to a rather large bed. "Laxus, you know I was just kidding. I've learned my lesson, I swear." He leaned even closer to my ear and whispered, "Now, why don't I believe that?" He breathed out slightly into my ear and I felt the shiver all the way to my toes. _Damn, why does he do this to me?_ He sat back up, looking thoroughly pleased with himself and asked, "So Lucy, are you ready for your punishment now?" as he trailed one of his hands down my arm. His hand drifted down my side before resting lightly on my stomach. My breath hitched as I watched him to see what he would do next. I was torn between my inner vixen wanting him to continue and my inner prude shaking her head for me to stop. I could almost see the two perched on my shoulders arguing over the whole thing.

I was pulled from my musing as I felt Laxus's hand drift back up my arm and grasp my wrist. Then he slowly pulled both of my arms down to my sides, looking into my eyes the whole time. I really wasn't sure what to make of this new side of him; it was so sensual. _God, what is he doing to me_...He gently tucked my hands under my back, pulling one of his hands back while using the other to secure my hands beneath me. I opened my mouth to ask what he was doing, but I couldn't seem to form the words. He smiled slightly before scooting back onto the top of my legs and leaning his face down to my bare midriff. My breath stuttered as I watched his eyes roll up to watch my face again, before pressing his lips to my stomach. _Holy shit...his lips...God...his breath...so hot._ My eyes slammed shut from all the sensations; my inner vixen was damn near dancing.

Suddenly he did something I never thought I'd witness, much less experience. Laxus Dreyar, lightning freak extraordinaire, was blowing raspberries on my stomach. "Ahahahahaha! No stop! Laxus! Hahahaha!" My eyes bulged as I fought to get away from his lips, his hand holding me still. I could feel his body shaking above mine; that jackass was laughing his ass off at me. He was laughing so hard, he couldn't get enough air to continue his assault, so he deftly switched to tickling me with his free hand. Tears were streaming out of my eyes as I jerked side to side to dislodge him. Luckily for me, his howling had loosened his hand enough for me to get free, and I jerked my arms out. I took advantage of his weakness and quickly started tickling him on his sides.

He flung his body to the side trying to get away, but I was having none of that. My hands followed him as I swung one leg over his hips to hold him down. I giggled hysterically at him trying to buck me off while trying to push my hands away from him. "How do you like it Laxus?" I laughed. He looked up at me begging, "S-stop it Lucy...hahahaha...you gotta quit...hahaha!" I cocked my head and retorted, "I don't know Laxy-poo...kinda looks like you love it. Maybe I should continue..." He continued to attempt to twist out from under me, but I followed his every move, steadily tickling. As his body flexed, I realized I was enjoying him being under me entirely too much; _this might not have been such a good idea_. I suddenly took my hands away from him, a bit embarrassed at myself. Turns out that wasn't a good idea, as he swiftly reversed our positions, this time with him positioned between my legs. _Oh hell, he's right up next to me. _The thought barely registered before he had my hands again secured in one of his. Miss Prude was fiercely shaking her head and wagging her finger at me, and I watched as the Vixen passed out dramatically, fanning herself all the way down. I was definitely feeling her pain; this was the most incredible torture.

"How very naughty Lucy. This was supposed to be your punishment. Hmm...maybe you need another dose..." His finger tapped his chin in contemplation. I pleaded with him, "Laxus please don't do it again." I took the opportunity to pout up at him innocently. He burst out laughing, bringing his hand down to my stomach again and said, "Nope, I think I'm going to have to punish you again." He began tickling me in earnest as I squealed "No! Hahahaha!" I unconsciously began bucking under him, my body making contact with every part of his. He abruptly stopped and then traced his fingers from my navel over to my hip and smirked, "Okay, then let's pick something else to satisfy your debt." I could easily see this going pear-shaped so I tried to think smart, but it was difficult as he seemed to be drawing patterns on my skin with his fingers. "Could you stop that so I can think?" I muttered, frustrated. I dared not wiggle; he was entirely too close for comfort. He chuckled at me, "Am I distracting you?" _Smart ass..._ "You're taking too long" he smirked, "I have the perfect thing." I looked at his face and immediately began to worry again. He declared, "A massage." My mouth fell open, "What?" His smirk grew into a full fledged grin, "I want a back massage tonight before we go to bed." _Was he intentionally trying to make that sound provocative? _I groaned, "Fine, just get off." He arched an eyebrow at the unintentionally dirty sounding phrase. "I didn't mean it like that, perv" I snapped as my face flushed once again. Why on earth I'd be blushing now, after he had already had his hands all over me was anyone's guess.

He pulled his toned body off of mine and stood at the foot of the bed, offering me his hand. I reached out and grabbed it without thinking, and he pulled me up close to his body. I looked up at him and he smiled, "That was fun." I couldn't help but return his smile. It had been fun and exhilarating and hot. _Damn, what is going on with me? I've never felt like this about him before. Why am I attracted to him now?_ I shook my head and turned to leave the room. He called after me, "Hey wanna check out the hot tub before dinner?" I was attempting to channel my inner prude, so my first thought was hell no, but as I thought about it, I realized how tired my body felt from sitting on the train for hours. Suddenly the idea of my poor muscles being surrounded by hot swirling water sounded too delightful to pass up, and without thinking I moaned, "God yes." _Wait that didn't come out quite like I intended_. I whipped around to see Laxus smirking again_. Damn when will I ever learn to curb my tongue_; it would be a miracle if it didn't get me killed one day.

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**_A/N: Oh wow, this chapter was so much fun to write! Hope you guys enjoy reading it as much I enjoyed writing it! _**


	7. Hot In Here

_Thank you, thank you, thank you! You guys make me so happy, reviewing and favoriting and following me and my stories! Still loving you all to pieces! Special thanks again to **XxShyxX** for being awesome - it's so much fun having someone to discuss my story with before I write!_

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_I remind you again, I do not own Fairy Tail. If I did, Lucy would never wear the side pony tail again_.

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**CHAPTER 7: HOT IN HERE**

**Laxus's POV**

I couldn't believe how far off track our little game had gone. I had only planned to tease her a bit, tickle her a lot; but it had turned into far more than that. I couldn't complain, because it had gotten so much more interesting. The little hellcat wasn't satisfied with taking her punishment, and instead had tried to turn the tables on me. I had thought she'd yell at me and get all pissed off when I had trapped her on the bed like that, but she didn't. Her body relaxed into mine, and she let me do what I wanted. She let me touch her and put my mouth on her. Then she practically rode me while I was flopping around trying to get away from her devious little fingers. I wanted to go further when we flipped over and she was under me, but I knew she'd have my ass if I pushed too far. I had to keep telling myself to take it slow. In the end, I'd gotten her more comfortable and arranged for another situation where she'd have to touch me again.

I watched as Lucy left the room and couldn't stop a small chuckle from escaping from my mouth. I was still stunned by how much I was enjoying seducing her. When I had started this, all I thought about was getting between her legs; I never actually considered that it would be fun getting there. But here I stood, once again watching that ass sway as she walked away from me and loving every damn minute of it. Oh I was still looking forward to having her beneath me, but I was going to enjoy the hell out of this game until then. I shook my thoughts away and followed her tempting backside into the sitting room. I grabbed my bag from the floor and noticed Lucy spacing out on the couch.

"Hey Blondie," I called, knowing she'd get pissed at the nickname, "you getting changed or what?" She huffed as she rolled her eyes at me, "You do realize that calling me that only makes you look stupid, seeing how you're every bit as blonde as me, right?" I smirked, "Maybe I just wanted to get a rise out of you." She stood up to face me, and then bowed, throwing her arms out away from her body, "Well, mission accomplished you pain in the ass." I grinned widely as I eyed her chest, "Hey do that again. I didn't get the whole picture last time." I watched her face bloom an interesting shade of pink as she realized that when she'd bent over, her loose shirt had opened, giving me a glimpse of her perky breasts. Her hands flew up to her low-cut shirt and growled, "Oh you're such a perv!" She turned, bag in hand and stomped her way to the bathroom. She slammed the door, and hearing the lock turn, I burst out laughing. _She's just too damn fun to rile. _

I went back to the bedroom and quickly changed into some shorts; then threw a hotel robe over my shoulders. I walked back to the front room and sat on the small couch to wait for Lucy. I knew it would take her much longer; she was female after all. Women couldn't seem to do anything quickly, in my opinion. So I was more than a little surprised to see the bathroom door swing open not more than a minute later, with Lucy exiting in a matching robe. I followed her to the door, grabbing our key and we made our way quietly down stairs. I didn't attempt to touch her again. I figured I'd pushed my luck enough for the moment. It wouldn't do to piss her off too much; that could mess up my plans. Seeing the entrance to the hot tub room ahead, I stepped in front of her to open the door. As she passed by me, I slipped my hand onto her lower back and she quirked an eyebrow at me. "I was just trying to be a gentleman," I defended myself. She snorted delicately and walked into the room.

I led her towards the back of the room, happy to see that the room was all but empty. Soft music played throughout the room as we claimed our own corner. I threw my robe off, slinging it onto a bench against the wall. I spotted Lucy watching me out of the corner of my eye; she flushed as her eyes raked over my chest. I couldn't resist teasing her further by stretching my arms above my head, as I turned and stepped into the hot water. I could feel her eyes on my back; I was shamelessly pleased by her reaction to the sight of my body. I sat facing her, waiting for her to discard her robe and brazenly asked, "See anything you like?" The distracted woman seemed to suddenly realize that she'd been caught staring. She blushed deeper and turned to shrug off her robe. As it fell off her shoulders, I could see what appeared to be a jet black string bikini. _Damn she looks good;_ it would be so easy to untie the string around her neck and the other in the middle of her back. I pushed the thought aside; that wasn't going to be happening anytime soon. I had total command of my faculties until she decided to grace me with the front view.

I felt all the air rush out of my lungs. _Fuck, what the hell is she trying to do to me? _Her eyes met mine briefly and her eyebrow raised at me as if asking "Not so cocky now, are you?" My eyes swept back over her body, clad in what I knew would become the showstopper of my next dirty dream. The suit that I originally thought was a simple bikini was actually nothing of the sort; in fact it was the sexiest one piece I had ever laid eyes on. The black material stretched tightly over her large breasts; right in the valley of the beautiful globes laid a zipper that extended down past her navel. There was no bathing suit covering the sides of her stomach or her hips. The suit just covered her chest, with a narrow strip down the middle of her stomach, before it flared again to cover her bottom. I could feel my shorts getting tighter by the second. _I am so fucked right now_. Lucy began her slow descent into the water, her hips swaying as she watched me ravish her with my eyes. I couldn't seem to stop looking at her; my hand was clenching with the need to pull that tantalizing zipper down. I could see it in my mind, slipping my hand around her back, releasing the ties and peeling that enticing bit of nothing she called a swimsuit off her delectable body. _Damn I've got to stop thinking about it_. I forced my eyes up to her face again and saw her smirking at me, "See anything you like?" She knew exactly what she was doing, the little minx.

_Well two can play that game._ I got to my feet and crossed in front of her, stepping right in between her legs. I trapped her with my arms, using my body to crowd her against the side of the hot tub. "Oh yeah," I growled as I leaned in closer, "I see a lot I like." I heard her breath catch; her heart was beating fast. She was definitely feeling it; she was hot just like me and it damn sure wasn't from the water. Her tongue darted out wetting her lip and her eyes flickered down to my mouth, and I snapped. Somewhere between the dreams, the chase that ended with me between her legs on the bed, and that damnably sexy swimsuit, my discipline had all but evaporated. I pushed all the way against her, all of me touching every gorgeous inch of her, and my lips slammed down on hers. Caught off guard by my sudden assault, it took her a moment to respond. Her mouth fell open and I took it for the gift it was and swirled my tongue around hers. She moaned into my mouth, and I could feel my restraint slipping further away. I hadn't intended to attack her like this, especially in such a public place. I pulled my head back and looked down at her; she stared back up at me with hooded eyes and licked her lips again. She suddenly grasped my head and pulled me back down for another kiss. _Damn_. She trailed her tongue over my lips, and I needed no more encouragement. I thrust my tongue back into her heated depths, wrapping my arms around her to pull her even closer. I nibbled on her bottom lip, and once again was rewarded with a delicious moan. I swept my tongue against hers, our kiss quickly becoming needy. She tangled her fingers in my hair, tugging gently. I knew I needed to slow this down before I ended up taking her right here, but I bargained with myself. _Just a little longer_. No sooner had the thought flown through my mind, then I felt her grasp my tongue and suck it into her mouth. I swear my eyes crossed. _Fuck!_ All I could think of was what that would feel like much much lower. I growled low in my throat and gripped her hips tightly. She seemed to realize how tenuous my control was becoming because she began to ease off a bit and our kiss slowed. I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against hers, trying to catch my breath. She seemed to be having the same trouble as her hands drifted down from around my neck and rested against my chest.

We stayed like that for a moment, and I heard her whisper, "Holy shit." I could completely relate to the sentiment. I leaned back and opened my eyes to see she was looking at me, slightly dazed. I reached a hand up to cup her cheek and leaned back in for another small kiss. I couldn't seem to help it. She was gazing at me like I had knocked her world off its axis, and everything in me was screaming to do it again. I shook my head, "Damn, you seriously test my control woman." Her face lit up at my statement, and I chuckled at her reaction. _Too damn cute... _I kissed the end of her nose and took a step away from her. Her face fell for a moment, then brightened again. "Turn around. I'll give you your massage now." she chirped happily. She pulled me over to a wide shelf in the water. She sat down and pulled me backwards to sit between her knees. Oh damn...I swear she is going to be the death of me.

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**_A/N: Oh this was so fun! I didn't even realize I was going to make them kiss yet. I actually had planned on it being much further into the story, but it just burst out into this chapter. Oh well, plans are nice, but it's more fun when you let your characters tell you their story. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter!_**


	8. Surprise Me

_This chapter caused me a bit of trouble, which is part of the reason it's so late getting to you! So sorry about that! Thank you for continuing to follow this story! I love this pairing and I'm happy to see so many others who do too. Special thanks again to my pal** XxShyxX**!_

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_I sadly do not own Fairy Tail, because you know if I did, my hot tub scene would have already happened! These amazing characters belong to Hiro Mashima._

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**CHAPTER 8: SURPRISE ME**

**Lucy's POV**

_Holy...fucking...shit_...the mantra kept tripping through my head. I sat there in the hot tub, with Laxus between my legs, running through what had just happened. I couldn't believe that was me; I'd never had such an immediate reaction to someone before. We had been flirting with each other before, but nothing was serious. It hadn't really felt like we were heading anywhere at the time, but after tonight, I wasn't sure about anything. We had just been innocently teasing each other, okay maybe not so innocently. Then he surprised me, growling such delicious words to me. _Hello hormones..._ Never before had I felt so unbelievably sexy, and it wasn't because of what I was wearing. No, it was because this incredibly strong, incredibly gorgeous man was attracted to me. Little ol' me. _Wow..._ I don't know why that made such a difference, but I couldn't deny that it did. I felt so antsy; with his face so close to mine, all I could thing about was leaning forward and capturing his lips. It really was his fault; he was just so close. I hadn't even realized that I'd unconsciously revealed my thoughts until Laxus dove for my lips. This was no simple kiss; no, it was like I was being utterly consumed. It had taken my mind a moment to realize that what I was seeing and feeling was real; then, all I could feel was heat. My body temperature must have shot from normal to super nova in a second flat.

I'd been kissed before, granted not many times, but enough to recognize that this wasn't just a kiss. It was a possession, and there was nothing to do but surrender. If I were to be straight with myself, I fairly desperately wanted to be devoured by him. My inner prude had all but disappeared, and I couldn't really say that I was going to miss her much. Maybe that was because the Vixen had already effectively corrupted me; I decided immediately I was okay with that. I was still a bit perplexed at myself though; I'd always been a bit repressive with the opposite sex. I mean, I realize I show a lot of skin with the clothes I generally wear, but anything past kissing usually had me running for the hills. I just never felt all that comfortable, which was why I was so shocked at my rather wanton behavior with Laxus, of all people. _Why am I so at ease kissing him? Why was I okay with his entire body touching mine?_ I mean, damn, the only way we could have gotten closer would be if we were naked and he was inside me. The instant the thought formed, my face bloomed red. _What the hell?_ The Vixen was rapidly nodding her head in favor of the idea. _God, since when did I turn into such a horn-dog?_

Laxus turned his head, looking puzzled at me, "You okay back there?" I suddenly realized that I had been sitting there completely zoned out. I nodded quickly and set my mind to his massage. My eyes took in the sight of his toned back, and a hum of excitement nearly escaped my mouth. I had been beyond nervous when he had first suggested this, but now, after that kiss, I couldn't wait to touch him again. I tried to curb my enthusiasm and placed my hands lightly on his hips. My mouth watered as I ran my hands up his back, fingers splayed apart. I pressed gently into the muscles of his shoulders, running my thumbs in ever-widening circles. His head dropped, relaxing into my touch, as I began rubbing up his neck with my hands. I was enamored with the feel of my skin against his. I trailed my fingers down his spine, then started my way back up again slowly, pushing and pulling my palms over his wet skin. _Oh damn, I could get used to this._ I unconsciously scooted closer, bringing my body flush with his. I continued my assault, kneading the powerful muscles until he groaned. My mouth quirked up, finding I really liked the sound; I became determined to draw another one out of him. I slid down to his lower back once again, then pressed the heel of my palm in, swirling my hands in a pattern up the expanse of tanned skin. He released a puff of air from his mouth and moaned, "Damn, that feels good." I leaned into him and softly whispered, "Oh...I agree."

**Laxus's POV**

I whipped my head around in shock. _What was the little tease up to now?_ I pulled myself from between her legs and shook my head. "Trying to tempt me again, I see." I smiled and grasped her hands in mine, jerking her up against me. Big brown eyes stared back up at me, her smile matching mine. She was looking entirely too pleased with herself, so I did what any man would do. I reasserted my control of the situation. I slowly ran my hands up her arms, trailing my fingers over her shoulders. My finger traced the line of her collar bone, causing her breath to quicken and her eyes to close. I leaned in, my fingers threading through her hair and nipped lightly at her lip. She pressed into me and sighed, "Laxus..." _Damn I like the way that sounds_. I tilted her head and brought my lips to hers again, gently kissing first her top lip, then the bottom. _God, she's so responsive_, I thought as she hummed against my mouth. She deepened the kiss, her tongue pushing past my lips and any thought of who had control here flew from my mind. My arm drifted down her back and pressed her body even closer to mine. Her hands held my face gently and I couldn't help but notice how different this kiss was from the last one. Our first kiss was hot, fierce but this one, this one felt like a connection of some sort. It wasn't physical, though that was there; I wasn't sure what to make of it; I just knew it was something I'd never known before.

Suddenly, someone cleared their throat, and Lucy jerked her head away from mine. Her face colored immediately and I glared at the intruder. It seriously pissed me off that the moment had been lost. I pulled Lucy's hands down from my face, pressing a kiss into one her of palms as it passed my lips. She cocked her a bit before casting a small smile at me, then turning away to climb out of the water. My mouth went a bit dry, watching her perfectly round ass rise out of the water. _Damn, I can't wait to have that in my hands_. I groaned in my head at what she was doing to me. She turned to see me checking out her assets and simply smirked, "Pervert." She laughed and reached for her towel, lifting a foot to rest on the bench. She leaned down, smoothing the fluffy material slowly up her dripping leg . I climbed out of the hot tub, stepping quietly. I walked up behind her, slipping my arms around her waist and breathed into her ear, "I can show you a pervert, you damn tease." She smacked my arm with her hand and squeaked, "Laxus!" I laughed, my chest rumbling against her back. _She is just too damn cute._ I grabbed my towel and dried quickly before throwing on my robe. I looked over my shoulder to see Lucy similarly clad, and tossed my head to the side, "Let's go tease." She pouted, her arms crossed under her ample chest, "I'm not a tease! I can't help it if you're a perv." I leaned in, giving her a quick kiss and growled, "Don't worry babe...I like it." Seeing her face frozen in shock, I smirked and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the door.

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_**A/N: Well, then! I hadn't planned any of this except the massage, but apparently this is where I'm going! lol I have to say, I'm really enjoying their private thoughts. They're both a bit surprised, but in totally different ways. Anyway, I'll apologize now for this chapter being a bit on the short side, but I had to cut it there. The good news is that I will be posting chapter 9 of this story in a couple days as an apology for the lateness of this update and for the shortness of this chapter. I hope you guys will find this to be an acceptable trade-off!**_


	9. Things Change

_As promised, here is the next chapter early! I thank you all for your understand about the last chapter being so short and late; I'm glad I was able to update early to make up for it. Thanks also for continuing to follow this story! It makes me so happy that you guys have connected with my fanfic! Thanks for your help **XxShyxX** as always and special thanks to **LittleWonderland** for being such an amazing supporter!_

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_Hiro Mashima owns all things Fairy Tail and has selfishly refused to give it to me. _

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**CHAPTER 9: THINGS CHANGE**

**Laxus's POV**

We made our way upstairs, our hands still linked. It was surprising how much the small connection appealed to me. I'd never taken the time to enjoy such a simple thing before, and it amused me that my first experience was with this little spitfire of a woman. I rubbed a finger over the top of Lucy's hand as I questioned what I really wanted from her. It was unquestionably disconcerting to realize that I wasn't sure anymore. _How did she tangle up my mind like this? _As we reached the door, she reached up at me and poked me in the forehead, "Anybody home?" I let go of the tangled mess in my head and squeezed her hand, telling her, "Yeah, I'm here. You miss me?" I winked salaciously at her. She tapped a finger to her chin a few times and closed her eyes, "Hmmm...nope, I'm good." I could see she was barely restraining a grin, so I snagged her chin and brought my face down to hers. "Wow, a tease and a liar. I had no idea, Lucy." I burst out laughing as her jaw dropped. She quickly recovered, smirking while she viciously began poking my sides, "What was that, Laxy-poo?" I jerked away from her wicked hands, cracking up again. I grabbed her wrists and pulled her to me; my arms moved around her, gathering hers behind her back. I forced my face into a frown, "I do believe you're asking for more punishment." She tipped her head to the side and pouted at me. "You wouldn't do that to me, would you?" she asked while fluttering her lashes. I chuckled at the sight and dropped a kiss on her nose, muttering "You're too damn cute."

I released my hold and unlocked our suite, holding the door open for her. She curtsied primly before walking through, leaving me to once again watch the enticing swing of her hips. _That's one view I don't think I could ever tire of_, I thought, smiling secretly. Lucy retrieved her bag from the small bathroom by the sitting room and announced, "I'm hopping in the shower," before sauntering down the hall toward the bedroom. I followed her after a moment, crossing through the bedroom to the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. I walked outside, breathing in the salty air. I leaned against the rail, watching the waves roll in. I found myself looking up at the clouds and immediately spotted a dog's head within its fluffy depths. I shook my head, smiling at the memory of Gramps and an 8 year old version of me lying in the grass, arguing over the pictures in the sky. I remembered how close we were back then; he had been so much more than a grandfather to me. It had been a long time since we'd been like that, and I knew it'd take a miracle to ever be again; too much had happened. I took a steadying breath and reluctantly admitted the truth; I'd fucked things up far too much to ever get that back. _My fault.._.I brushed the thoughts away, as I turned to go inside. I hoped Lucy was finished with her shower; I needed to occupy myself with something other than this choking nostalgia.

**Lucy's POV**

I came out of the bathroom to see Laxus sitting on the bed, his arms resting on his knees, fists clenched. He was in such deep thought, he didn't seem to notice that I'd entered the room. I sat next to him on the bed, reaching out to gently touch his arm, "Hey Laxus, you okay?" His head shot up and I caught a glimpse of sadness in his eyes before he quickly schooled his features. He attempted a smile, looking more strained than anything, "Yeah, just fine." I cocked my head concernedly, and caught his eye, "Seriously, what's wrong?" His smile grew a bit and he fingered a strand of my hair, saying "I'm okay. Just thinking some things over." I puffed out my cheeks, making him chuckle shortly. "I can tell something's bothering you. I wish you'd just tell me" I groused in frustration. He looked up at me and raggedly sighed, "Honestly, I'm okay Lucy. Just thinking about old shit. Don't worry about it, okay?"

Before I could respond, he noticed what I was wearing. His eyebrow hiked up, "You didn't want to go somewhere for dinner?" I was still a little worried about what was eating at him, but decided that if he wanted me to know, he'd tell me. _It's not like I can make him talk to me._ Still, I didn't like seeing him so quiet. "I was thinking maybe we could just order something up and watch a movie tonight. Is that okay?" I offered tentatively. He nodded his head, "Sounds good. Why don't you call up some food and find us a movie while I get cleaned up." "Okay," I agreed, "Want do you want to eat?" He waved his hand at me, saying, "Whatever you think is fine; I'm not picky." He then dug through his bag, snagging some clothes, before winking at me and walking into the bathroom. I ambled into the kitchen where I'd seen a phone and menu. My mind still mulling over Laxus's apparent discontent, I looked through the selections, before calling downstairs with our order. _Still need to pick a movie_, I thought, _something funny_. I scrolled through the listings on the tv and saw one I'd yet to see, _"The Ugly Truth"_. According to Cana, it was "piss-your-pants funny". _What the hell...maybe it'll get him out of this melancholy mood._ I was, strangely enough, missing smirky, outrageous Laxus. I rolled my eyes at myself; God only knows why I'd miss that smirk. _Must be brain damage,_ I snickered to myself.

I was still smiling when the object of my amusement strolled into the room, drying his hair with a towel. Scratch that...the object of my demise. I'd turned around and felt an immediate heart attack coming on. _Could he look any more delicious? _He stood there in nothing but plaid pajama pants and my fingers itched with the urge to trace his tattoo. _Hmm...chiseled abs...drool fest commencing in 3..2..1..._He snorted at my obvious stare, "I'm sorry, who's the perv?" I instantly changed my mind; I didn't miss the smirk...at all. I decided it would benefit the world greatly for it to be banished to the depths of hell, never to be seen or heard from again. I stuck my tongue out at him, "Oh you're still a perv, Thunder Butt." He quirked a lip at me, "Really? Thunder Butt? That's the best you've got?" I scrunched my face up and thought a moment before suggesting, "Hmmm...Pervy Bastard?" He laughed at my horrible attempt, replying, "I thought we just established that you're the perv." I huffed at him, throwing my hands on my hips, "I am not the pervert!" He crossed the room, grinning lazily "Really? Cause I'm pretty sure your eyes were just all over me." I sniffed at his arrogant teasing, "Hmph, I have no idea what you're talking about." Laxus shook his head at me, feigning extreme disappointment, "Lucy, Lucy, Lucy...I thought we talked about this problem you have with lying. You're going to be such a bad influence on me." My jaw dropped, "What?!" _Did he seriously just call me a bad influence?_ I didn't get the chance to refute such a flagrant misjudgment as a knock sounded at the door. The infuriating, sexy bastard, formerly known as Laxus, cackled rather gleefully, before trudging over to collect our food.

We settled on the couch with the food spread across the coffee table, our legs almost touching. My earlier pique was quickly forgotten in the wake of my hunger and my excitement about the movie. As I turned on the tv, Laxus glanced up at me and questioned, "So what movie did you pick?" "Oh, it's one Cana recommended to me before, Ugly Truth. Have you heard of it? She said it's really funny." I explained before grabbing my fried rice. He stared at me in abject horror, "We're watching a movie Cana told you about? Are you crazy?" Confused, I queried, "What's wrong with that?" He howled uproariously before sputtering, "You'll see..." I pressed play, shrugging off his words. After all, he's just a guy; what does he know?

Turns out, quite a bit. I spent almost the entire movie with my face as red as Erza's hair. I was going to kill Cana; kind of wanted to kill myself too. This was definitely a "slam my head into a wall" kind of moment. I had long since stopped trying to eat as it seemed every time I'd manage a bite, the man in the movie would say something that would invariably make me choke. I swear, if it wasn't a naked man, then it was remote-controlled vibrating panties, or a conversation about "flicking beans"! _Oh...my...God...the mortification would never end! _Of course, Laxus was close to death from all the hilarity. He'd practically watched me more than the movie just to see my reaction. Each time something crass happened in the movie, and I'd invariably blush furiously, he'd howl, clutching his gut. _Mean bastard_. This was not the enjoyable, relaxing evening I'd imagined in my head; though, it'd had the desired affect of bringing Laxus completely out of his mood. _But really...is that worth the cost of my pride?_ When the dreaded movie finally ended, I felt like bowing to the gods in thanks for saving me. Laxus was still leaning his head against the back of the couch, every now and then expelling another laugh. "Damn, my stomach hurts. I don't think I've ever laughed that much," he heaved. I smacked him in the chest, glowering, "So nice you got such enjoyment at my expense, asstard." He snorted incredulously, "Did you just call me an asstard?" I raised my brow, answering snidely, "Why yes, I believe I did." He inched over to me, putting his face next to mine. "Aww...come on now; you're not going to sulk are you?" he pouted comically. I pushed his face away, snickering, "Don't ever do that again. You look like a fish!" He stuck his tongue out at me, and I giggled at his surprising playfulness. I'd never seen him like this; I'd never actually thought he possessed such a fun, childish side. Our first meeting showed him as an arrogant, cruel villain. At that moment, it would have been impossible for me to conceive that inside such a seemingly heartless man, dwelt such a fun, likable person. I sighed..._I want to know this man._

**Laxus's POV**

I grabbed the remote, flipping through the channels in search of a movie. We argued back and forth, before finally settling on my pick after I reminded Lucy that she'd picked the last one. So here we sat, watching one of my favorites, Die Hard. She sat close to me, her knees pulled up to her chest, arms resting on top. We didn't get far into the movie before her head started to droop; she looked so cute jerking her head up, her eyes blinking rapidly trying to stay awake. I smiled, scooting next to her. She was going to fall over at this rate. I pulled Lucy to my side, tucking her under my arm. She startled awake looking around, then relaxed, snuggling into my chest. She tucked her hand up under her face and I sighed in contentment, settling my chin on her head. I don't know when I'd felt this at ease; I didn't waste my time questioning it. The moments of true serenity in my life were few and far between, and I wasn't about to let this one pass me by. I closed my eyes, as memories ran like clips through my head. The movie began, of course, at the beginning, reminding me of the way I had raged against the guild, my own grandfather, and the petite Celestial mage I now held in my arms. I had treated her and the others as if their lives meant nothing; my pride had nearly destroyed everything simply because some jackass had laughed at Fairy Tail. What an ignorant son of a bitch I'd been. I had been so convinced that my brand of strength was what the guild needed; I had learned that day, in the same way Gajeel had, the difference in brute strength and the strength that came from protecting the people you care about. I had fought because I wanted to win; every mage in Fairy Tail had battled because they wanted to save each other.

I tightened my arms as I marveled at all that had happened. She should very well hate me for all I had done, not just to her, but to the people she counted as family. Yet she was here with me on a job, talking companionably, poking fun at me, laughing at my antics, flirting lightheartedly, kissing passionately. I couldn't imagine how she could just forget everything I'd done. I certainly didn't deserve it, but something inside me was beyond grateful for such a gift. I had lived so long with more anger than I knew what to do with, so bitter at every way I felt I'd been wronged. It was so hard to understand Lucy's ability to forgive everyone who'd hurt her. Gajeel, Juvia, me, the Raijinshuu; we had all played a part in causing her pain, but she had found something inside herself that allowed her to just let it all go. I suppose even more than that, the most amazing part was that she accepted each of us as part of her precious Fairy Tail family. I was beginning to recognize that she was far more special than I'd seen before. My chest clenched with shame at how I'd seen her as beneath me back then; I knew now that was biggest lie I'd ever told myself. I looked down at her, pressed up against me; she was beautiful, and it was more than her face, her body.

I slipped my arm under her shapely legs and lifted her into my arms. She stirred a bit, cracking her eyes open when I started walking to the bedroom. Looking up at my face, she smiled sleepily. I couldn't resist placing a soft kiss on her forehead as her eyes flickered shut once again. I closed in on the bed, and leaned down, gently tucking her under the covers. She squirmed, turning over onto her side, her lips parting in a sigh. I went around the suite, turning the lights and tv off, before returning to the bedroom. Walking to the far side of the bed, I climbed in, edging up behind Lucy's back. I slid my left arm under her pillow and brought her back against my chest while pulling the covers up over us both. Inhaling the scent of her hair, I listened to the sound of deep breathing and felt my body become lax. I discovered as I laid there, miles away from home, I didn't give a damn about the bet that had brought me and Lucy together. I didn't care if it took months before she wanted to sleep with me; with the chemistry we seemed to have, I had no doubt it would happen at some point. At this point, I'd never understood the need to seek out a connection with a woman past physical pleasure. I had never been interested in a real relationship; it just never made sense to me. I had always been fine on my own; I didn't need a woman by my side. I knew I had never felt this before, this overwhelming desire to be close to another human being. Sure, I had the Thunder God Tribe, but they were my friends. This felt different; Lucy was different. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted from her; all I knew is I wanted more...whatever that was.

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_**A/N: I worked really hard on this chapter. I wanted it to show some of what Laxus truly feels. Don't worry, we'll be getting more from Lucy soon too. By the way, did you guys notice this chapter was much longer than the others? It is officially my longest chapter yet! **__**Hope this lived up to your expectations! **_See you in the next chapter! 


	10. You Make Me Feel

_First off, I'd like to say I'm sorry this chapter took so long. It wasn't because the story didn't want to be written. It was, in fact, that I've been pretty sick for the about the last week. I kept trying to write this chapter, and either I would feel really horrible or something else would come up and completely bomb my concentration. Anyway, that is neither here nor there. The important thing is that I have finally completed it! YAY! So before we get to the chapter, let me say thanks again to all you terrific followers, thanks to you guys who've added me and my story to your favorites, and thanks so much for all of your reviews! Special thanks goes to **XxShyxX** for giving me some ideas for this chapter. Your input is, as always, indispensable!_

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_Hiro Mashima owns all things Fairy Tail, because you know if I did, scenes like this would make an appearance in the OVA._

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**CHAPTER 10: YOU MAKE ME FEEL**

**Lucy's POV**

I awoke to the feeling of warmth all around me, and I vaguely wondered if Natsu had found his way into my house again. Of course, if that was the case, there was nothing to do but kick the shit out of him for presuming to sleep with me. I was so very comfortable though, which then lead my sleep addled mind to conclude that it couldn't be Natsu. His level of heat was off the charts, and I always woke up sweating to death. That thought, in turn, required my brain to start waking up, because it just might be time to panic! If it isn't Natsu, who the hell is snuggling up with me?!

I peeked open an eye, taking in the sight of a very large, very muscular, very naked chest. I blinked, feeling a surge of panic until my eyes caught sight of a very familiar tattoo beside my head. ___Laxus__..._I sighed as my heart beat slowed, and I was once again taken into that comforting warmth. The thought that I'd slept, not only in the same bed, but in his arms seemed incredible to me. Somewhere inside me, I knew I shouldn't be this calm; I should have already jumped out of this bed and his arms. _Why wasn't I freaking out? _I had always gone ballistic when I woke to Natsu sharing my bed, and he was my one of my best friends. I barely knew Laxus, but strangely, I didn't feel the desire to pound the shit out of him for doing what I wouldn't let Natsu get away with. I should feel weird, but I really didn't. _Shouldn't that bother me? _I thought back over the last day..._wow, has it really only been one day?_...and I suddenly realized how much he had gotten under my skin. Somehow, this eternally arrogant man had gotten me comfortable.

I took a moment to admit to myself how much I liked waking up to find Laxus beside me. _How the hell did that happen? _Before, he was just a guy at the guild; he was obviously gorgeous, insanely powerful, nakama, but ultimately he was still just a guy in our guild. I didn't know him well, and before, it hadn't really mattered to me to change that. Of course, that was no longer the case; now it seemed he was never far from my thoughts. My thoughts seemed to be quite happy to circle around him. My lips quirked, remembering how much he had smiled since we'd arrived, how hard he had laughed. He just seemed...free somehow, and I began to recognize how much it meant to me to see him happy. I found myself hoping that this free side of him was, at least in part, because of me.

I had already accepted the fact that I liked this Laxus, but it was more than that. I didn't just like this fun, playful side of him; I was coming to be drawn to even the less thrilling sides of him. Yesterday, when I'd found him sitting on the bed, his face so sad, I had wanted nothing more than to take his pain away. I didn't like the idea of anything hurting him; I wanted to save him. The thought made me smile,_ me saving someone as powerful as Laxus_. Still, I knew from experience, that sometimes the worst pain is the kind that doesn't touch you physically. Sometimes, what cuts the deepest are the scars in your heart.

My gaze traveled up to study his face, still slack with sleep. He looked so peaceful like this, with his lips slightly parted, his breathing deep and slow. I was marginally disappointed that I couldn't see his stormy gray eyes; ___then again__, ____if he were awake, I might not have the courage to do what I want to do__._ I lifted my hand from his chest slowly, careful not to wake him and spoil my fun. I held my breath and gently touched his face, caressing his jaw line. _Such a strong face..._You wouldn't look at him and say, "Cute" or "Beautiful." He would never be those things; he was too rough around the edges to ever be described by such paltry terms. No, Laxus was rugged and masculine. There wasn't a soft part anywhere on his body; he was all man. My hand drifted up and followed the line of his eyebrow, stopping at the scar that bisected both brow and eye. I gently pressed a finger to the marred skin. My finger ghosted down the scar, barely touching; I didn't want to wake him just yet. I bit my lip as I concentrated on studying the area, before suddenly realizing that Laxus had opened his eyes and was watching me quietly. _Oops._..

I jerked my hand back and tucked it under my chin, muttering "Sorry." Reaching out, he grasped my hand and brought it back to his face. He looked at my slightly flushed face, and spoke in a sleep-laden voice, "It's okay. You don't have to stop." His hand gently began teasing up and down my back and I faltered for a moment, before raising myself up onto an elbow. I eased a hand forward to graze my middle finger along his hairline. I traced down the side of his face, before threading my fingers into the hair above his ear. My thumb stroked over his scar softly, as he breathed out a sigh and closed his eyes. I lingered over the spot, testing the texture, memorizing the feel of it. I knew he'd gotten it as a child, when his father had the lightning lacrima implanted. I frowned, imagining how much it had to have hurt; to be honest, I was amazed that his eyesight hadn't been damaged in the process.

His eyes fluttered open again to see my pensive expression, and he put his curiosity into words, "You look so serious. What are you thinking about?"

I looked into the cloudy grayness of his eyes and asked, "Did it hurt?"

He furrowed his brow before answering my question."I don't remember much about when it was put it. It hurt afterward though," he said simply.

I bit my lip, considering the next question I wanted to ask. I was more than a little unsure about this one; it was far more personal, and there was a chance that he wouldn't appreciate me sticking my nose into it. Still, I decided to chance it and inquired, "Why would your father do something that would cause you pain like that?"

He went stiff for a moment, and I suddenly wished I'd kept my mouth shut. "I'm sorry Laxus; I shouldn't have asked," I rushed to say, hoping he wouldn't be too angry with me for being so thoughtless.

He gave my hip a small squeeze, and my eyes looked into his as he sighed, saying, "Basically, the bastard couldn't give two damns about anyone but himself. He was tired of having a "_weak" _son, so he figured he'd fix me."

He'd fairly sneered the word "weak", and I reasoned that his father must have beaten him down with it. I couldn't help but find the sad irony in his statement; his father had made sure that Laxus felt like he was never good enough, and then Laxus had continued the pattern, treating the rest of the guild the same way. I wondered if Laxus's preference to be alone was leftover from his father as well.

I looked down, as my fingers followed the lines of his tattoo, and thought how sad it all was. Here was one of the strongest mages in our guild, and his father had made him feel so small. It had obviously made him feel like he had to prove his strength over and over again. He had to be better, stronger than anyone else. I looked up as I shook my head sadly and said, "He really fucked with your mind, didn't he?"

My heart dropped as he turned his head away in shame, flexing his hand on my side. I cupped his face in my hand, and pulled him back towards me, telling him, "Hey, don't do that. I'm sorry; I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. I only meant that he had you so messed up, trying to be what he wanted; I know how that feels."

His eyes watched me warily. He didn't seem to know what to say, so I continued, "You're not a bad guy, Laxus; please don't think that. You just got a little lost along the way. I know what it's like to try to be everything your father wants and never be able to measure up. I fought so hard to make mine happy, but it never worked. Then one day, I realized, it was never going to be enough for him, but it wasn't because there was something lacking in me. There was something lacking in him. It's the same with you. You may have let your dad's words guide your actions for a while, and you made mistakes, but you learned from them. You've changed."

**Laxus's POV**

For a moment, I laid there stunned, her hand still holding my face. I couldn't believe what she'd said. _She really doesn't think I'm horrible._ Obviously, I realized that she wouldn't have come here with me if she hadn't felt safe, and she damn sure wouldn't be kissing me and touching me the way she had. I knew all that, but some little piece of me had felt sure that in the back of her mind, I was always going to be the man who'd hurt everyone she loved. I hadn't understood how much I needed to hear her say that I wasn't bad, that she knew I had changed. When she'd said those words, I felt a tightness, that I hadn't even known existed in my chest, ease. _She really is something else_, I thought, as I pulled her face to mine.

I caught her eyes with my own and tried to put everything I was thinking into that connection. I wanted her to know how amazing I thought she was, how grateful I was for this second chance. She smiled gently, and I slipped my hand into her hair, and kissed her, slow and deep. She met my lips, releasing a soft breath. I rolled us over and pressed her into the bed, my leg slipping between hers. My left arm cradled her as I continued my slow assault on her mouth. I slid my right hand from the back of her head to cup her face, brushing her cheek with my thumb.

She grasped my face in her hands, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. Our tongues brushed, swirling around each other, learning, savoring the experience. I left her lips, and opened my eyes, seeing hers do the same.

I searched her face, saying "How, Lucy, how do you do it?"

Her face screwed up in confusion, as she asked, "How do I do what?"

I stroked her face, and asked all the things that confounded and amazed me, "How can you forgive me so easily for everything I've done? How can you offer me a way to let go of my guilt, when I deserve to feel like that?"

She shook her head lightly as she pulled my face in to offer a brief kiss, before saying, "You've made up for what you've done, Laxus; you've earned forgiveness and trust. You shouldn't have to live with your guilt forever; you deserve more than that."

My breath shuddered as I closed my eyes, leaning forward to rest my forehead against hers. "I don't understand it; you should hate me. You should look at my face and feel nothing but disgust."

She pushed my face back, making me look at her, and saying sternly, "Laxus, stop. I'm not about to hate you for making mistakes that you've already paid for. Trust me, I've made plenty of them myself. No one's perfect." Her mouth inched up, grinning impishly as she continued, "Besides, it definitely isn't disgust that I feel when I look at your face."

It took a minute to switch gears from the serious talk we'd been having, and I realized that she was trying to get me to do what she'd done and let it go. I didn't know if I could ever leave it in the past, but I was going to try, for Lucy. I felt a smile stretch across my face as I asked, "Really? Why don't you tell me what you feel when you look at me?"

Lucy let loose a giggle, before answering, "I like looking at your face; it makes me smile."

I laughed, tapping her nose with my finger, "I like that it makes you smile, but that wasn't the question. The question was what do you feel?"

She smirked mischievously, as she let the silence gather. Then she pulled my head closer, leaning forward to whisper in my ear, "Hot...looking at you makes me feel hot."

I froze as the words seemed to shoot straight to my groin. Gone was the light, playful moment and in its place was heat, instantly consuming my body. A groan was ripped from my throat as she nipped at my jaw. My hand clenched, the sheets twisting in my fingers, as her leg ran up the length of my own.

She made her way down my neck, whispering words between each little bite. "Your eyes make my heart pound"..."Your lips make my mouth water"..."Your scar makes me itch to touch it." Every word she spoke was like a jolt to my already fried system.

Pulling my head back, I saw her eyes were hooded, and she was breathing raggedly through parted lips. "Fuck!" I smashed my mouth over hers, ravaging her lips as she had ravaged my control. She'd ripped through my good intentions with nothing but her truth, and there was no putting it back. I pulled my arm from beneath her, and suddenly I found myself between those incredible legs. I ran my hand down her side, brushing her shapely ass, and hooked her leg over my hip. My hand lingered over her knee, pressing into the soft skin, before smoothing its way back down to her hip, sending a shiver through her body.

I pulled back on the kiss to suck her plump lip into my mouth, nibbling on it , then soothing it with my tongue. Her breathing matched mine, climbing higher and higher as our hearts pounded seemingly together. I left the warmth of her mouth to lick a path to her collar bone, sliding my hands up her legs to cup her perfectly round ass, pulling myself in closer. She shuddered as I brushed against her core, and her hands on my back clenched. Her legs tightened, pulling me in again to rub deliciously against her warmth, and my breath left with a hiss.

I moved my hands to brace myself over her, as I grazed my teeth against the skin of her neck. I flexed my hips, wanting nothing more in that moment than to push myself inside her, to take her over and over again. I wanted to push her over the edge, to hear her cry out my name. I returned to her lips to kiss her ferociously, thrusting my tongue into her mouth. She moaned into my mouth, pressing against me like she couldn't get close. I understood the sentiment.

Just as I had begun to ease my hand up her shirt, we heard a brisk knock at the door. I considered ignoring it until I realized that it could only be related to the job we were here to do. After all, the money drop was scheduled for later today. _Fuck, fuck, fuck!_ I stilled, leaning my head against hers, while I was internally letting out the most inventive string of curses I could think of. _Of all the damn times..._ I leaned back to sit on my heels, shaking my head, and opened my eyes.

Lucy was breathing hard as she rasped out, "Shit, it's...about the job...isn't it?"

She laid there, her face flushed and her legs spread before me, and I had to fist my hands to keep from touching her again. I wanted so badly to deny it and finish what we'd started, but I made myself answer, "Most likely."

The knock sounded again, and she sat up and climbed over the side of the bed, adjusting her clothes. "Ugh...I'm coming!" she yelled to the person at the door, before glancing at me. Her face flushed as she realized what she'd said, and she leaned down, brushing a kiss across my lips, muttering, "I'm sorry; I'll see what they want."

I stood beside the bed and watched as she got further down the hall. I was so hard already and watching her like this was just making it worse. I groaned as I walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. _There's only one thing to do_, I thought, as I climbed under the hot spray. _Damn, I'm too fucking old to be doing this shit_.

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**_A/N: I really wasn't planning the last part of this chapter, but apparently, they really want to be together! Of course, there's always the remote possibility that I'm just a closet pervert that keeps trying to put them there. Anyway, I tried something a little different with this chapter. I got a suggestion on my other story, and thought I'd test the theory here. My reviewer thought that it would be easier to read if I put each character's spoken words on a separate line. So please, let me know if you like it this way or you prefer the other way. It doesn't bother me either way, so I'll let you guys decide! :)_**


	11. Just The Two Of Us

_I swear, I'm always apologizing for taking so long updating this story, but I guess here we go again. So, without further ado, I'm so sorry this took me nearly two weeks to update. Anyway, here we are finally, the next chapter! So thanks for waiting so patiently, for following, for favoriting (I realize that's not an actual word), and reviewing! Thanks for** XxShyxX** for wading through the rough patches with me, and thanks to** LittleWonderland** for being the voice of reason to my writing insecurities. You da' best!_

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_Remember my peeps, Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail. Thankfully, we have Fanfiction, where anything we imagine can be true, like a delicious blonde dragon slayer falling for an equally blonde Celestial Spirit Mage._

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**CHAPTER 11: JUST THE TWO OF US**

**Lucy's POV**

I leaned against the suite door, trying to catch my breath. I looked at the envelope in my hands and didn't know whether to curse the damn thing or be thankful for the interruption. I hadn't intended for things to get so out of hand. Honestly, it had happened so fast, and it had been absolutely amazing. I felt like every nerve in my body was standing at attention, as if Laxus had zapped me with a low-powered strike of his lightning. Oh, but it didn't hurt; it felt so...fucking...good. My body was fairly humming right now._ Shit, what am I going to do?_ Even now, with the space to clear my mind, I wanted to go in there and push him back onto the bed. I still wanted to feel his hands all over my body; I still wanted to see that look in his eyes, that look that pierced right to the heart of me and promised unimaginable pleasure. I knocked my head against the door;_ this isn't helping_.

I knew we needed to slow things down; I knew that was the smart thing to do. I wasn't sure of his intentions yet, and as much as I wanted him, as much as I burned for him, I needed more of a reason than that. I wanted to argue with myself, but I couldn't escape who I was. I was a girl who needed that extra strand of connection, before giving my body away. I knew that I was beginning to truly care for him, but I wasn't sure if he felt the same way. Hell, I didn't even know if things would change after we got back home. _Is he like this, just because we're away from everyone else? _Would he still be interested when we went home? I needed those questions answered before we went that far, before he took a piece of me that I could never get back.

I had let myself get too wrapped up in Laxus, too overwhelmed with what I felt for him. I hadn't intended to initiate sex. I had just wanted him to stop doubting himself. I wanted him to know without any doubt that he'd been forgiven and that someone really did want him, not for his power or his standing in the guild, but for simply being him. I needed him to know that I wanted him exactly the way he was, with his past, with his faults, with all the pain he tried to keep hidden. I cared about all those parts of him, and I wanted to show him how to let it all go and forgive himself.

I released a breath, and closed my eyes, as I listened to the sound of the shower. My mind immediately began imagining Laxus's head flung back, his fingers raking through his hair, the water tracking down his toned body. I shook my head, trying to dislodge the arousing images. _What the hell do I do now?_ It was obviously not a good idea for us to be alone in this suite; I had no doubt we'd end up right where we were before. We needed to get out and do something.

I glanced at the envelope again and realized that I had yet to find out why we'd been disturbed. I ripped the flap open to find a message from the hotel manager. He was advising us to meet with his Head of Security at 3pm. I had to laugh; we'd been interrupted to inform us of something we had already planned to do. Ironic, I suppose. I braced myself as I glanced down the hallway; I couldn't stay by the door all day. I'd have to see him again and find a way to resist him at some point. It was going to be hard. He was so unbelievably sexy, and I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

I walked back into the room and plopped down on the bed, trying to avoid what had happened there a short time ago. I just needed to distance myself from him, or I wouldn't be able to ignore everything I wanted to do to him. I told myself firmly: no kissing, no touching. _I can do this. I can resist! _Then he walked out of the bathroom, in nothing but shorts and all I could think was, _I am so screwed_.

**Laxus's POV**

I stepped into the bedroom and saw Lucy sitting on the bed. I came to an abrupt stop; her eyes were flitting over my still damp chest, and I swear I could almost feel her touching everywhere she looked. I nearly retreated to the bathroom again for another hand job. _Damn, what was I, a fucking teenager?_ I sighed, dragging a hand through my wet hair, rasping, "Lucy...you gotta stop looking at me like that." Her eyes finally rose to meet mine and she unconsciously licked her lips. "Damn, it's like your fucking me with your eyes," I growled.

Feeling frustration crawl up my throat, I turned away as she quietly murmured, "Sorry." I leaned against the wall and looked over at her, sighing, "We need to get outta here for a while."

She sighed deeply, "I know. If we don't, we'll end up..." She stopped there, her face flushing as she realized what she had almost said.

I chuckled, the tension slowly fading; she really was so fucking cute. I dug through my bag, then pulling on a shirt, I asked, "So, what'd they want at the door?"

She rolled her eyes, her face still pink, "To tell us to meet the Head of Security at 3. As if we didn't know to meet up with them early before the money drop."

I shook my head;_ what dumb ass thing to disturb us about_. "Morons," I said, irritably, "Anyway, why don't we check out the beach. I think we could use some fun. Well, a different kind of fun." I couldn't help adding that last part. Things may not have ended the way I wanted it to, but it had still been damn fun.

Her eyes widened at that, but then, noticing my smirk, her lips quirked and she laughed. "You're such a perv," she muttered as she passed me, "I'll go get in my bathing suit."

I had a sudden picture of jet black stretched across smooth skin. "God, not that one from last night..." I groaned, as if in pain. I didn't think I could handle that one again just yet.

She giggled at my reaction, musing "So you're saying you didn't like it?" She cocked her hip out, her arms tucked under her luscious breasts, and pursed her lips.  
_  
Sassy wench_... "No, I liked it too damn much!" I bellowed, scowling at her brazen attitude. She was deliberately trying to get a rise out of me.

A smile tugged at her lips, and I felt mine begin to respond likewise. Then she opened her mouth to taunt me again, "Then why don't you want me to wear it?"

My eyes narrowed. "I would suggest you wear something else if you don't want to be stripped bare the moment you walk out of that bathroom," I growled wickedly.

Her eyes flared with worry and a large amount of excitement, and my breath hissed out. "Lucy, get your ass in there and change into a better bathing suit! And stop looking at me like that!" I turned her around and smacked her ass towards the bathroom, grinning widely when she eeped at the contact.

She spun around, sticking her tongue out at me before shutting the door. I held in my laughter, and reached into my bag to pull on a black t-shirt. I walked into the kitchen to grab an apple from the fruit bowl. As I munched on my quick breakfast, I thought back over the morning and decided that all in all, it had been a good morning. In spite of the abrupt halt to our...whatever you want to call it, and my consequent foray in the shower, I felt incredibly satisfied.

I had never held myself back from a woman like this; granted Lucy wasn't exactly making it easy, and I wasn't exactly against her provoking me into it. I found that I was enjoying this...shit, I didn't know what to call it. It was like we were toying with each other, but not in a bad way. She was fun, and smart, and sexy; I never knew what she was going to do next. She'd be aggressive and sexy, then she'd slow down and be comforting and gentle. She was a total contradiction, sassy and sweet, bold and innocent. I was beginning to suspect that I would never get bored with Lucy around.

My eyes caught sight of the girl I'd been thinking of, heading toward me in a sundress and sandals. She grinned sweetly, causing my eyes to meet hers in suspicion. _She's up to something._ She tilted her head as if to question, _What?_ I shook my head at her and smiled, reaching out to snag another apple and throwing it to her. She caught it with both hands, before chirping, "Thanks!"

As we made our way downstairs, Lucy edged closer to me, and using her arm, gave me a little shove, giggling as I stumbled to the side. We walked all the way out to the beach, constantly bumping each other in the side, our earlier awkwardness gone as we relaxed in our stupid little game. I hadn't acted this ridiculous in such a long time, and oddly enough, it felt good, which made no sense at all. _Why would I like acting like a dumbass?_ I didn't know the answer to that question, so I pushed it aside and just welcomed the time with this silly, sexy girl.

Still laughing, we broke out onto the beach, and found ourselves a quiet section of sand away from the other hotel patrons. We flopped our stuff down, and I watched as Lucy was bent over securing the edges of her towel from the slight wind. I smiled at the fact that she was giving me an uninhibited view of her backside; I could feel my hand itching to make contact again. I must have made some sound, because she abruptly stood up and whipped around to point a slender finger at me, proclaiming me to be a "Perv."

She rolled her eyes at me and crossed her arms under her generous chest, causing my eyes to stray downwards. I nodded, pointing out what she'd done and shrugged my shoulders, quipping, "I'm only a perv cause you're a tease."

She pouted cutely, and I had to chuckle; it was so fun to mess with her. _In more ways than one_, I thought wickedly to myself. I snagged the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head, and threw it at her. It nailed her right in the face, and she flung it back at me, once again sticking out her tongue. She slipped the straps of her sundress down her arms, shimmying the item over her breasts and hips, before dropping it to her feet. My eyes followed its progress in rapt attention, and as her bathing suit was ever so slowly revealed, I felt like someone had suddenly turned up the sun. I was burning up.

It took a moment for my heart to start again, and with it came my mouth. "What the hell is that?!" I demanded, eyeing the bright yellow _thing_ she was wearing. It looked like a one-piece, but it had holes everywhere like a damn afghan blanket. The only thing that was actually covered were her tits and her..._Oh shit...my favorite color had never looked so damn good_.

"It's a crocheted bathing suit. Isn't it cute?" she inquired brightly, seemingly unaware of my inability to breathe.

I sputtered, "You think that thing is what I meant by better swimsuit?!" My mind was trapped, trying to decide if I desperately loved or infinitely hated the offending bit of clothing. _Is she trying to kill me?_

She arched her eyebrow and asked, "What? You don't like this one either?"

I thought she was serious for a split second, until a look into her eyes revealed her merriment. Suddenly, her sweet smile from earlier made perfect sense. The little minx hadn't chosen this modern torture device by accident. She'd done it on purpose to taunt me, probably to pay me back for smacking her ass before. I was contemplating now whether it had been worth it. I raked my eyes over her lithe body again, and decided most emphatically..._hell yes_. I smirked evilly at her and her breathing picked up, her eyes wide with equal parts apprehension and enthusiasm. "Oh you are going to pay for that," I informed her, as I began walking around all the stuff to get to her.

I lunged at her, my arms outstretched, and with a squeal, she was off, running down the beach as if the hounds of hell were at her back. I took off after her, racing to capture her and exact my revenge. My feet pounded on the sand, and further ahead, Lucy turned her head, and seeing me not far behind, she poured on more speed, her golden hair twirling wildly behind her. A smile burst onto my face as her laughter wafted back to me, and I pushed even harder to overtake her.

It took only a few moments before I was steps behind, but I didn't stop. I reached out and grasped her, swinging her around to face me. We were both breathing hard as I wrapped both arms around her waist, and spun us around in a circle, sending her legs flying out behind her. Her hands gripped my shoulders, and she slung her head back and laughed, as if she hadn't a care in the world. My heart skipped a beat before my own laughter poured out, and for the first time in a long time, it felt as if my own cares didn't exist anymore. As I slowed our spinning, Lucy tipped her head back down and our eyes met, and as her hands slid up to cup my cheeks, she leaned in a caught my lips in a gentle kiss.

We stood there for a time, wrapped in each other's arms, and I completely forgot that a world existed outside of the two of us. I reveled in the feel of her lips on mine, and wondered at how this woman could tear me up inside one minute and then sooth it all away the next. One moment, playful and teasing, the next passionate and soulful. I tightened my arms around her, pressing her fully into my body, and delved deeper into the kiss. I felt like a man in the desert, and everything I needed could be found there in her arms. I didn't know what she was doing to me, but I wanted more of it, more of her.

She pulled away sooner than I wanted, but she remained in my arms, smiling serenely up at me, and I could feel an answering smile on my face. _Is this what it feels like to be completely happy?_ It had been so long since I felt the sensation, I wasn't sure if I was even capable of recognizing it. She studied me for a moment, then stroking her thumb across my cheek, asked softly, "What are you thinking about?"

Before I could contemplate what I wanted to say, the words slipped from my mouth, "I'm happy." Hearing the wonder in my voice, I wanted to curse myself for my lapse in control, but her smile grew more radiant as she leaned in again, her eyes on mine, and whispered against my lips, "Me too."

Her simple words wiped the worry from my mind, and I answered by kissing first her bottom lip, then the top one. Her hands slid down my chest to wrap around my body, as I brought mine up to hold her face. I leaned down, kissing her forehead lightly, and pulled her in, tucking her head under my chin. With one hand tangled in her hair and the other around her shoulders, I felt full, or complete, or something I was at a loss to name. All I knew was it was real, and I'd never known anything so solid and strong. I was in a place where nothing could touch me, not my past, not my mistakes, not even the fears I kept hidden away. There was just this beautiful woman who looked at me as if I hadn't sold my soul a long time ago. I knew I didn't deserve to even touch a woman such as Lucy, but like a starving man offered a feast, I couldn't deny myself.

She pulled back till her hands rested on my hips, and seeing the look on my face, said, "Why so serious, Laxus?"

I trailed my hands down her arms before threading our fingers together and brought one hand up to my lips briefly. I smiled down at her, answering, "No reason. Come on, let's head back." I kept one of her hands in mine as we strolled down the beach toward the casino. I looked up to see that we had gone quite a distance from where we'd parked our things, but I wasn't in any rush; I was enjoying the weight of her hand in mine, the way our arms swayed between us. It was a good way to spend the day.

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_**A/N: Two things here: First, I realize that there isn't much in the way of Lucy's POV, but Laxus just had to much to say this time. There will be more Lucy next time :) Secondly, if you'd like to see the suit that inspired Lucy's beach attire, then go to www . dollswimwear . com (don't forget to erase the spaces) and search for 10476-YLW. Thanks for reading and see you next time!**_


	12. Waterworks

_I am so happy with this chapter, for so many reasons! For one, it didn't give me an ounce of trouble. The second reason you will understand after you read it (devious smile here). Third reason is that I wrote it so soon after my last update! Hooray for inspiration! Anyway, to XxShyxX : I did change some things here - hope you like it! Thanks to you all for following this fanfic - you guys are way awesome!_

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_Hiro Mashima owns all my favorite things about Fairy Tail...like seriously ripped Dragon Slayers._

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**CHAPTER 12: WATERWORKS**

**Lucy's POV**

We walked along the beach, both of us seemingly content with only the sound of the waves beside us. I happily sighed, letting go of his hand, to slip my arm around his waist. He slung his arm over my shoulders, and seeing his hand draped there, I reached up, threading my fingers with his again. I leaned my head into Laxus and smiled to myself, as I thought about what he had said. "I'm happy." I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness that he was feeling the same way I was. I understood enough about myself to realize that if these feelings were one-sided, I'd be devastated. I didn't know how, in such a short amount of time, it had come to mean so much to me to have him in my life, but it did. If things didn't work out after we went home, it would hit me hard; it wouldn't be easy to get over. So, when he'd said he was happy, I suddenly felt free to really let go.

I looked up at his face, noting that he was still quite serious, so I gave me a small squeeze about the waist and said, "Hey, something on your mind?"

He tipped his head down, answering with a smile as if humoring me, "No, everything's fine."

I pouted up at him, knowing he was lying again. "Why won't you ever talk to me about stuff?" I pulled out all the stops when I gave him my most pitiful puppy eyes.

He chuckled at my antics, leaning down to brush a kiss against my forehead, before answering, "You worry too much. Besides, you should know by now that your pouting doesn't work on me."

I sank in mock disappointment, before I smirked meanly at the ground as an idea popped into my head. I cocked my head up at him and asked, "Really? My pouting doesn't work? Well, then I guess I have to resort to this." Before he could respond, I leaned my face into his chest and lightly bit down on his nipple with my teeth. I made sure not to do it too hard, but it had the desired effect. He jumped away from my mouth with a yelp, and I couldn't help but laugh at the expression on his face. He was so shocked that his mouth was hanging open, and I wrapped both arms around my stomach as I howled uncontrollably.

He recovered much faster than I did, and scooped me up, one arm under my knees and the other around my back. I squealed a bit as he swept me off my feet, and I watched as his signature smirk appeared on his face. _That could only spell trouble for me,_ I thought, as he chided, "So, it's like that huh?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck, still giggling, as I asked saucily, "Whatcha gonna do about it?"

"Oh, you're gonna regret that wicked mouth of yours," he chuckled darkly, his brow lifting, as he took off towards the ocean.

His intentions now clear to me, I shrieked, gripping his shoulders as he ran into the water. "Laxus!" I screeched as each step brought the cold water splashing higher and higher up my body.

His chest rumbled with laughter, as he steadily walked deeper into ocean. By this time, he was more than waist deep and the lower half of my body was bobbing in the slightly chilled water. Before I could react, his arms shot out and I went sailing through the air, landing a few feet away with a loud splash. I shot out of the water, chest heaving and teeth chattering. Hearing him still cracking up, I wiped the wetness out of my eyes and caught sight of him, before slipping beneath the waves again. I swam closer to him, and sprang up, slinging water at his face with both hands. I immediately turned around and attempted to swim away, snickering at my success.

I didn't get far before he grabbed my legs and hauled me back towards him, saying, "Oh, no you don't...get back over here."

I tried to grab onto his arms, but lost my grip as I was once again launched upwards. I laughed as I came up out of the water again, no longer cold. We began splashing water at each other, an all out war that I became quite sure I would lose. His arms were massive compared to mine and were quite adept at scooping up enormous amounts of water to send in my direction. I silently ducked into the water as he launched another attack. I swam a wide path around my opponent, coming up behind him. I grabbed the waist band of his shorts and yanked back quickly, catching him off guard and pulling him down into the water.

He found his footing quickly and pulling me towards him, burst out of the water, dragging me up too. I was once again overcome with giggles as he shook his head and taunted, "Sneaky little thing."

I was instantly jerked into his chest, my arms slipping around his neck, his sliding around my waist, and the laughter was suddenly gone. _How did one touch from him awaken such awareness in me like this_? I had no time to think it through, as his mouth descended upon mine, and the thought drifted away on a tide of molten desire. He ravaged my mouth and I could do nothing but answer with my own hunger. His hand found it's way up my back and thrust into my hair to hold the back of my head. I sucked in a sharp breath as his hand gripped my hair, pulling my head back to expose my throat to his view. He dove in, raining open-mouthed kisses down the column of my neck, and I arched my back at the sensation.

Heat pooled in my belly as I wrapped my legs around his waist, straining to get closer to his body. He growled at the contact, gripping my hips and pressing his body closer to mine. I tightened my legs and rubbed myself against the hardness in his shorts. It was just too damn good. There was no thinking, no reasoning, just pure, unadulterated passion. My blood was boiling as his mouth crashed into mine, his hand leaving my hair to slide up my side and everything in me stilled, as it inched closer to one of my aching breasts. They had never felt so heavy, so full, and I was nearly ready to beg for him to touch me, when finally I felt the soft brush of his hand against the underside of one.

I groaned into his mouth as his large hand enveloped my breast, cupping me through the thin fabric of my swim suit. He began to massage it gently, his thumb lightly teasing the hardening center, and I eagerly pushed my breast into his hand, needing more of his touch. His lips trailed down from my mouth, sucking a path towards my collar bone, and I whimpered as his hand left off his attentions to pull the string of my bathing suit. _Oh God...yes._ His hand brushed my top away and found my breast again, this time with no barriers, kneading the flesh with his fingers. My breath stuttered as he began rolling my nipple between his thumb and forefinger, before pinching it lightly.

He worked his magic, strumming me tighter with every touch, and angling me back a bit, he gathered my breast in his hand and suddenly his mouth was there, tongue lapping up all the wetness it could find. I arched my back again, all but begging him to finally take me into his mouth. He had scoured every inch of my breast with his tongue, teasing relentlessly, but left the one spot that desperately needed his attention alone.

I dug my fingers into his hair, pulling him closer to me, and let it all come pouring out. "Please Laxus..." I pleaded, gasping out the words. I marveled at the desperation in my voice. I'd never felt such need before, never had such an instant reaction to a man. It was as if Laxus was the maestro and he was playing my body like his favorite instrument, awakening a tune never before heard.

His eyes flashed up at my face, as I begged him, and I watched them darken with desire, before his mouth crashed back down onto mine. His hand surrounded my breast, swirling his palm around the tender nipple, as he once again devoured me with his mouth. He brushed the pad of his thumb across the sensitized peak, before tugging gently, causing my hips to buck against him and my mouth to leave his with a ragged moan.

His mouth skimmed back down my body, teeth nipping my skin along the way, his tongue swirling around my nipple, teasing it into a hard point, before his hot mouth enveloped it whole. I cried out as he finally sucked the peak, rolling it around with his tongue. My legs clung to his hard body, pressing my core against him, and I gasped as every tingling inch of my body exploded with pleasure. His teeth grazed the sensitive nub, and my fingers dug into his broad shoulders. I felt so hot, so hungry, my insides clenching with every tug of his mouth.

I threw my head back as sensations assaulted my body, and I gasped as his hands slipped down my wet body to grip my ass and grind himself against the most sensitive part of me. He tugged at my nipple in time to his thrusts against my throbbing sex, and I moaned at the incredible friction. If he kept this up, there would be no way for me to control myself; I could already feel the makings of an orgasm building inside me.

"Mai, don't get too far ahead!"

I squeaked as our heads whipped around to see a couple walking down the beach, calling to a little girl running ahead. Laxus quickly ducked us down further into the water, growling out his frustration at yet another interruption. My chest heaved in the cool water that surrounded our heated bodies, and I muttered, "Shit." I couldn't believe we had just went at it like that, in the open, where anyone could see. I swear, it was like he had some kind of override for my good intentions. Apparently, all he had to do was give me that look and I'd climb his body like a jungle gym.

"I swear, somebody out there hates me," Laxus grumbled, irritably, as I unhooked my legs and slid down his body.

I smiled at him apologetically, knowing this was the second time I'd inadvertently caused him discomfort. Truth be told, I wasn't feeling entirely calm at the moment either. My body felt frustrated, having almost achieved blast off status, and once again being denied. I was beginning to think this trip was going to kill us both.

I leaned up to kiss him, but he pushed me back into the water gently, slightly smiling as he coughed out, "You might want to put those away first."

I followed his eyes down to realize that my breasts were still bared to the world, my top floating in the water, and I squealed, covering myself with my hands as I began looking around frantically. He laughed at my panic, and said, "Don't worry; no one saw you. Turn around and I'll tie you up."

I stayed low in the water, but turned and passed him the stings to tie around my neck again. When he was done, he pulled me back against his chest and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing my neck gently. I sighed and relaxed in his arms, feeling a different kind of warmth fill my body. Not lust or desire, but safety and comfort. It felt so good, easing away the tension in my body. We stood that way in silence for a time, looking out over the ocean, before his voice rumbled in my ear, "We should probably head back soon."

I nodded, but neither of us made a move to break our hold on each other. I tipped my head back, leaning to the side, and slid a hand into his hair, pulling him down to me. He kissed me languidly, not rushing the moment, and I sighed my happiness into his mouth. As we pulled apart, my eyes met his and I saw in them the same contentment that welled inside me, and I felt my heart swell. Tears pricked at my eyes at the growing hope that Laxus could want something more with me. Things were moving so fast, and I knew with a certainty I had never before possessed, that I was heading towards falling in love with him. I turned my eyes away to once again take in the view; I wasn't ready to reveal all I felt, and he would surely see it in my eyes right now. I blinked quickly, trying to push aside my overwhelming feelings; I couldn't risk it just yet.

**Laxus's POV**

I was confused, frustrated as hell, but mostly confused. We had just shared a kiss and when our eyes caught, I saw what I thought was happiness. Then her eyes widened, and she abruptly turned away, her body stiffening a bit against me. _What the hell is going on?_ "Lucy?" I asked tentatively. I reached up with my hand, pulling her face back around and realized her eyes were shining. She looked like she was trying not to cry. I grabbed her shoulders and twisted her around, before cupping her face in my hands. "Lucy, what's wrong?" I asked, my brows furrowed with concern.

She blinked a few times, before attempting a smile. "Nothing, I'm fine," she lied unconvincingly.

My eyes narrowed on her, trying to find the answer on her face. "Stop lying Lucy. Tell me the truth. Did I do something to upset you?" I asked, frowning, as I thought over what had happened, trying to figure out if I had fucked up in some way.

She looked at me confused, asking, "Why would you think you did something wrong?"

"What am I supposed to think when you look like you're about to cry?" I reasoned, as my hands slid to her shoulders.

She shook her head and gave me that smile that said everything was okay. "Baka..." she said, stepping forward to wrap me in a hug, "You've been nothing but amazing."

I slipped my arms around her small form, and rested my cheek against her head, smiling now that I knew she wasn't mad at me. I felt my good mood return, and decided to tease her a bit, "Such a tease..."

I felt her lips quirk against my chest, then she retaliated, whispering, "Perv..."

We stood there until the silence was broken by a loud growling sound. I chuckled, quipping, "I take it you're hungry."

She smiled brightly as she pulled back to put her hands on her face in mock surprise, gasping, "How did you guess?"

"Sassy little tease..." I muttered, "Whatever shall I do to you?" I grabbed her hips and began lifting her out of the water.

"Laxus!" she shouted, laughing, "Don't you..." Her words were cut off as I threw her out into the water again.

Her head popped up a second later, her hair plastered to her face, and I burst out laughing at the mess she made of it trying to push it out of her eyes. She stumbled towards me, her arms outstretched and I howled at how closely she resembled a zombie. Suddenly she lunged at me, and I had barely enough time to jump back, causing her to flop back under the water again. She launched out of the water this time, flinging her hair back as she sent a massive wave of water at me. I opened my eyes to find she was quickly heading towards the beach. Pushing frantically through the water, she turned her head smiling, as she yelled behind her, "Race ya!"

I smirked, charging behind her, my longer legs making it easy to overtake her. I passed her grinning widely, as she sputtered, "Hey! Get back here!"

As we got out of the shallow water, she put on a burst of speed, getting close to me before launching herself at my back. I laughed as she clung haphazardly, squealing as she started slipping off. I grasped her legs, and bounced her higher onto my back. She giggled cutely as she wrapped her arms loosely around my neck, and the thought passed through my mind..._this feels damn near perfect._

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**_A/N: They're so naughty, getting busy in the ocean! I can't believe that happened; they were only supposed to be playing around. Oh well, they can't help themselves, especially seeing how I made them do it. I should probably be worried that Laxus is going to kick my butt for leaving him frustrated so much! Poor guy. Anyone else feeling his pain? Anyway, sorry that Laxus only got a little POV time here, but Lucy had things to say :)_**


	13. Don't You Know You're Beautiful

_Oh wow - it's been almost 2 weeks, and here were are again with me trying to apologize. So unbelievably sorry it took me so long to get this out for you guys. My mind has been uncontrollably stuck on my other story, **Dirty Little Secret**. Apparently, Gajeel is just a tad too appealing. :) Anyway, without further ado, thanks to you all for adding this story to your favorite list, for following it, and reviewing. Love you all! Thanks to the world's greatest Beta:** LittleWonderland**. You can all say you have the best, but you're all wrong! Mine is the best! _

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_Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail and all those incredibly amazing characters! Too bad he won't let me just have one. _

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**CHAPTER 13: DON'T YOU KNOW YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL**

**Lucy's POV**

It was a little after 11 when we made it to our suite, both of us beginning to feel itchy, courtesy of all the sand. I swear it felt like I had taken a shovel and dumped the gritty substance straight down my swim suit. I could never fathom how you'd end up with such large amounts all over you and never once have sat in the sand. It just seemed to have a mind of its own, as if Max was there, directing it to creep up into every crevice it could find.

As these thoughts flew through my head, I caught Laxus glancing from me to the bathroom, and I could just tell he was judging how quickly he could get there. I squealed as we both took off, sprinting towards certain relief, both of us calling dibs on first shower. By the time we reached our destination, we were both laughing lightly.

"You should always allow ladies first, Laxus," I declared piously, "That's what a gentleman would do."

"Pshh...when did I become a gentleman?" he smirked, continuing, "Besides, I should go first, seeing how I carried you earlier."

Hands on my hips, I wrinkled my forehead up at him, saying, "What the hell kind of reason is that?"

His mouth quirked a bit, before he said, "Okay, let's flip for it."

"Fine, but I'm going to win," I assured him confidently, digging through my bag for a small coin and tossing to him.

I walked over to him as he flung it into the air. His head tipped back to watch the rotation, and before he could realize what I'd planned, I raced into the bathroom and slammed the door, locking it in a single motion.

"Hey!" he shouted, smacking his hand on the door, "What the hell?"

I collapsed into giggles against the wooden surface, imagining a shocked expression on his face. As my laughs subsided, I noticed that he'd gone very quiet, so I cautiously put my ear against the door and listened. It didn't take long before he grumbled, his voice deep and low, "You are really asking to get turned over my knee, tease. You know that, don't you?"

I snorted out a laugh, and taunted him a bit, "Oh, come on, Laxy-poo. You know you wouldn't do that to me."

Suddenly, the door shuddered, pulling a squeak from me, as he laughed, enjoying my startled reaction. "Lucy, Lucy, Lucy...you should know by now that I would, and by the way you keep tempting me, I'm beginning to think you want me to," he said, his tone smooth as silk.

"I do not!" I snapped, appalled at his suggestion, "Don't be ridiculous! Gah, you really are a perv!"

The door shook with the force of his heaving laughter, as he coughed out, "I swear...you give the best...reactions..."

My eyes narrowed, as I pouted behind the door, muttering to myself, "Humph, so mean."

I turned to ready the shower, as his words floated through the door, "You know, I can hear you pouting in there."

I whipped around, wondering how he knew what I was doing, but refusing to acknowledge that he'd been, in fact, correct._ Definite perv, but an entirely too smart one._ I stuck my tongue out at him, content with the knowledge there was no way he could see, and consequently call me out on my childishness.

Of course, that thought barely registered before he was once again reading my mind, "Stop sticking your tongue out at me; I might take it as an invitation."

"Arghh!" I yelled, the frustration eating at me, which of course, caused me to forget my determination not to let him know he was right, "How the hell do you do that?!"

I waited for a few moments, but got no response other than an amused chuckle, getting quieter as he drifter further away. _How did he know what I was doing? Troublesome man! _I huffed at his maddening ways and climbed into the shower, sighing at the blessedly hot spray. I wanted to just stand there, relishing the feel of the soothing water, but it wouldn't be long before we had to meet with the head of security and begin our job. I still hadn't had a chance to check out the casino, and I was determined to see it all before our time here was up. So, without further stalling, I washed up quickly and climbed out, soon realizing that in my haste to win first shower, I had entered the bathroom with not a stitch of clothing.

I smacked my hand against my forehead in consternation. _I...am such...a dumb ass sometimes. Way to be brilliant, Lucy!_ I cheered for myself sarcastically. Now, I'd have to go out there in a towel, which admittedly, didn't usually bother me all that much, but this was not just any man. This was a man I wanted to ride like a horse, and I had been steadily losing the battle with my more reasonable side. I knew in my head, that I shouldn't jump into things so fast, but my body was literally itching with the desire to climb on and yell, "Yee-haw!"

I shook my head free of that particular image, and grasped the door knob. There was no way around it; I needed to stop worrying it to death and just go. I pulled the door open, and reminding myself that I was a grown ass woman, proceeded to peak around the edge of the doorway, ruining a truly rousing speech to myself. I relaxed as I saw no sign of the handsome lightning mage, and eased into the room as quietly as I could. I spotted my bag, and dropped my hands from the towel, reaching over to pull out some clothing, when all of a sudden, arms wrapped around me, drawing me into a firm chest.

He trailed his nose over the damp skin of my neck, then his breath hit my ear, humming, "Hmm...you smell good."

My heart rate climbed, as my head tipped to the side of its own accord, giving him all the access he could want. He took advantage of my surrender, flicking his tongue over my thrumming pulse, stopping only to suck lightly at the spot. Then, there was nothing. I blinked, trying to contemplate what had just happened, when my towel was abruptly yanked from body. I gave a yelp as my towel was then used to snap against my ass like a whip. My eyes widened as I heard him snicker, before adding seductively, "Very nice."

The fact that I was now completely naked dawning on me, I growled threateningly. I refused to turn around and grant him the full view, the damn perv, but I wasn't sure where to put my hands. There were simply too many areas to cover. _Oh he was going to pay for this!_ "Laxus!" I yelled thunderously , "I'm gonna kick your ass!"

He quickly spun around, running to the safety of the bathroom, still laughing his ass off. _Stupid fucker took my towel too_, I fumed.

**Laxus's POV**

I stood in the bathroom for a few minutes, listening to her mumble to herself, and smiled devilishly, before deciding it was time to make tracks. I made short work of getting clean, and suddenly, it was time to face Lucy. Now that I was thinking clearly, I was seriously beginning to doubt my sanity. _Why the hell did I do that? She's gonna be so pissed, which means she's going to find some way to pay me back_. Knowing her, it would either be completely embarrassing or extremely painful. I wasn't entirely sure which option I'd prefer; the last time she'd embarrassed me, she'd announced to a random stranger that I needed pills to get a hard on. That time, I'd only put my arm around her. This time, I'd done much worse, so now, there was no telling how bad her retribution would be.

I squared my jaw and walked out; after all, I was no pansy. Whatever she decided to dish out, I'd take it like a man. The only problem was there was no one in the room. No Lucy waiting patiently to take my head, which either meant she was laying in wait somewhere else to kill me, she was planning on waiting until we were in the midst of a crowd of people to humiliate me, or she was going to keep her temper and plan something far worse for me in the distant future when I had forgotten all about it. The last scenario sounded the most sinister, which meant it would be right up her alley. _Damn, this is going to be bad. I'm going to have to keep my guard up._

"Oh, you're out!" she said, appearing from nowhere, a bright smile affixed to her face.

I watched her suspiciously, waiting for her disposition to change into a revenge seeking demon, but she remained the same, happily waiting for me to finish getting ready. That, of course, only served to make me more nervous. _Oh, we're going with option 3...looks like I'll be watching her like a hawk from now on._ Luckily, that was no hardship; I had become quite fond of observing her.

"Hurry up, Laxus!" she exclaimed, excitedly, "I want to check out the casino! I've never been to one!"

Jerking my head back in surprise, I snorted, "You've never been in a casino? Ever?"

She shook her head back and forth, as she gushed, "No, and there's so much I want to try! Video poker, blackjack, roulette..."

I had to laugh. She was just too damn cute. Sitting down on the bed, I slipped my shoes on and then followed her downstairs. Arching a brow at her, I asked, "Do you know how to play any of those games?"

"Well, Gray taught me about Blackjack, so I do know how to play that. Cana offered to teach me how to play poker, but she wanted to invite all the guys and make it strip poker, so obviously, I still know nothing about that," she said, gesturing with her hands, as she shook her head at the insanity of our drunk friend.

Rolling my eyes, I snorted, "That doesn't surprise me. Her mind seems to only be interested in sex, alcohol, or sex along with alcohol."

"You might have a point there," she mused, then her smile went wide, as she giggled, "I guess that makes her the perv."

I cracked up, wiping my brow in a dramatic fashion, "Damn, I'm finally off the hook!"

Giving me a look, she poked her lips out a bit, pausing her steps to argue, "I didn't say all that now. You're still the biggest perv; you proved that earlier."

"Yeah, about that...are we gonna talk about that, by any chance?" I muttered, wary once again. I was hoping I could convince her that she really didn't want to exact her revenge on me.

She gave a little smirk, before resuming her walk. "Nope! I reserve the right to punish you severely, at some point in the future!" she announced cheerfully, her face gleaming in merriment.

_And here we go...time to put the old Dreyar charm to use_. I threw my arm around her, drawing her next to me. "Come on babe, don't be like that. You know I was just kidding around, " I whispered into her ear, nuzzling her hair. "Besides, I'm too cute to punish, don't you think?" I added, winking at her.

She slid an arm around me, pinching me lightly on the side, before pointing a finger at me, stating firmly, "Don't be thinking you can seduce your way out of this, mister. I am officially immune."

I glanced down the hall briefly, and seeing no one around, pushed her up to the wall, pressing against her fully. "How about now?" I asked, as I ran my nose lightly up and down her neck.

"Hmm...nope, still immune," she said, her voice coming out slightly breathy.

Leaving her neck, I kissed a path along her jaw, humming, "And now?"

She answered once again, this time stuttering, "T-totally immune to you."

Hearing her heart pounding, I looked into her eyes, and saw the truth. She was just as affected as me, just as drawn to me as I was to her. Without taking my eyes from hers, I took her bottom lip between my teeth, giving it a gentle tug, drawing a hiss from her mouth. I let go, only to suck the plumpness into my mouth, laving it with my tongue. Her breath hitched, as she arched up into me, drawing me into a fierce kiss. As we pulled apart, I growled my demand, "Admit it, Lucy. Admit you're no more immune than I am."

She bit her lip for a moment, as if debating with herself over the answer, before she seemed to reach a decision, speaking softly, "It's true; I admit it. You have this way of making me lose control of myself."

I smiled broadly at this, feeling an odd sense of relief, and said, "You do the same to me." I leaned forward to kiss her again, as a door opened admitting a couple into the hallway. Their eyes betrayed their surprise, before matching grins flashed across their faces, and the man bellowed, "Don't mind us. We'll just be going." The woman simply giggled as they went past us, saying, "Sorry about that! Go right on back to what you were doing!" They rushed around the corner, as Lucy and I burst out laughing.

"It's kind of par for the course with us, isn't it?" she said, a wide smile on her face, as she shook her head.

I rolled my eyes, smirking as I replied, "Well, we do have a tendency to do these things in public."

She smacked my arm, accusing, "You started it. It's not my fault I forgot where we were." She huffed, crossing her arms across her body, pushing those delectable breasts higher.

"You need to stop crossing your arms like that or I'm going to forget what we're supposed to do," I said, my voice low, as I waited for her reaction.

I didn't have to wait long, as she immediately dropped her arms and stammered, "S-shut it perv! And stop staring." She tossed her hair behind her shoulder elegantly, and promptly walked away.

I chuckled to myself; she never disappoints. I chased after her, slipping my arm around her again, and whispered, "You didn't mind me staring at them when we were in the ocean..."

"Laxus!" she gasped, her voice sounding strangled, and as her face flushed a bright red, she shoved me away from her, turning her back on me with a huff.

She looked so cute, I couldn't help but push her a bit more. Smiling to myself, I walked up behind my blonde companion, and slipped my arms around her. I tried to pull her close to my chest as she continued to remain rigid, and that's when I realized just how embarrassed she really was. I took a moment to choose my words; I didn't want her to feel this self-conscious about what we'd done. I kissed her lightly on the head, before telling her gently, "Lucy, don't be embarrassed. I didn't mean to make you feel weird about it. Come on, don't pull away."

I was beginning to get a little concerned, as she was still holding herself away from me, stiff as a board. I seemed to do all the wrong things ever since we got back to the hotel. _Way to go Laxus. Nice job there, you dumb shit_. Finally, the tension faded from her body, and she slumped into my embrace. I sighed, tightening my hold on her, murmuring, "I don't want you to freak out about all this, Lucy. Trust me when I tell you, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Back there in the ocean..."

I stopped as she tensed up again, before lightly shaking her, and beginning again, "Hey, don't do that. Just listen to me, okay?" I waited until she relaxed, continuing, "Back there in the ocean, you were so damn sexy. God, watching you, kissing you, finally touching you. I love it that you respond to me the way you do. It's fucking hot as hell. I don't want that to change because I said something stupid. You're fucking beautiful, baby."

Things became very quiet as I waited for her response, and when it came, I couldn't have been more happy with the outcome. She whirled around, throwing her arms around my neck, and I barely had the time to see her eyes holding back tears, before her mouth was meeting mine. I sighed into the kiss, grateful to every deity in the universe that I had finally managed to do something right.

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_**A/N: So, I was planning on this chapter being the casino scene, but somehow, I ended up with this. Who knows how my mind works? lol Hope it whets your appetite until next time!**_


	14. Play The Game

_So unbelievably sorry for taking the longest ever to update. My life has been completely crazy lately - visiting family all week, school stuff for my kids, not to mention the ever fun and exciting drama. Anyway, crappy apologies aside, here's the next chapter. Hope you love it, especially since it's so late. Sending love out to you all for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing, with a super special load of love for my beta **LittleWonderland** and my pal **XxShyxX** for helping me with this story. _

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_I own nothing of Fairy Tail, unfortunately. If I did, Lucy would be right in the middle of a love triangle between Laxus and Gajeel. Yum! Don't hate me for my crack pairing love..._

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**CHAPTER 14: PLAY THE GAME**

**Laxus's POV**

We walked into the casino, hand in hand, and I watched as her eyes lit up. Her head whipped from side to side, taking in the sights all around her. I smiled at her enthralled expression; she was so cute, especially when she wasn't trying to be. She seemed to greet each day with an unfettered enthusiasm, always trying to find the best in every situation, to see the best in each person she met. I was well and truly amazed by her.

She tugged at my hand, pulling me towards a bank of machines off to the right, calling out in delight, "Video poker, Laxus!"

"Slow down Shorty; we're going. No need to rush," I chuckled lightly, as a cute little pout graced her face.

She slowed down long enough to mouth off, "We only have a few hours before we have to do our job. We have to make the most of our time!"

She once again began walking, a determined looking expression on her face. She stopped in front of the poker machines, once again talking animatedly.

"Oh, I'm so excited! But...I don't know how to play poker," she said, her voice trailing off, as she looked up at me with hopeful eyes.

_Like I could say no to that_. I moved her away from the chair, and dropped myself into it, pulling her down to sit on my lap. She let loose an "Eep!" as she fell, before snuggling in with a contented sigh. I wrapped my arms around her and slipped some money into the machine. She sat there, completely focused, as I played a few hands to show her what to do. We went through a series of hands, so she'd know which cards to keep and which to get rid of.

I wasn't sure if Lucy was getting all the information I was throwing at her, but I sat back to allow her to try it. I watched as she bit her lip in concentration, studying each card in her hand. She took a few moments to think carefully, before choosing the cards to toss away, and I felt myself grin as the words "WIN!" flashed across the screen. As I imagined she would, she squealed, clapping her hands in joy.

"Oh my God, I won! Laxus, did you see that?" she trilled happily, as she flashed me a brilliant smile.

I couldn't help but laugh at her excitement over a 100 jewel win, but what I was really waiting to see was her reaction to the tables, where you could easily win enough to pay her rent in one sitting. She was surely going to flip out. It was kind of ironic, considering that she had grown up with wealth the likes of which I'd never seen, and yet, here she sat, completely enthralled with such a meager win. She was such an enigma.

We stayed at the poker machines until she got her fill, as I watched her face change from happy bliss to saddened pout over and over again. She was such a trip to be around; everything she felt seemed to pour out of her all the time. It was a far cry from myself. For such a long time, anger was the only emotion I was comfortable showing. Everything else seemed a bit too revealing.

My thoughts halted as Lucy leaned back into me with a huff. "Well, I lost all my winnings. At least I came out even, and it was pretty fun," she said, looking down at me with a small smile, "Thanks for showing me how to play, Laxus."

"Sure thing. Now, what do you want to do next?" I asked her, referring to her casino To-Do list.

She tapped her chin with a long finger, looking around the room, before she spotted the roulette table. She hopped up, pointing in that direction, as she pleaded cutely, "Oh, can we go over there next?"

I shook my head, amused to no end, "Lead the way." She reached for my hand as we headed over to the slightly busy table. Her eyes lit up again as she took in the sight of people calling out and pushing tokens onto the numbered board.

As we walked, I gave her a basic explanation of the game, "Alright, in this game, you know they spin the wheel, bets are placed, and then a ball is spun on the wheel in the opposite direction, right?" I waited until she nodded her head before continuing, "Well, you can make different types of bets. I think we should just start with the simple ones. You can bet on a single number or a group of them. Now, if you decide to do an outside bet – that's a bet to cover 1-18, 19-36, odd numbers, even numbers, red ones, black ones, dozen bets like 1-12, 13-24, you get the idea – the payout is less, but the likelihood of winning is higher, while choosing a single number has a higher payout, but your chances of winning is less. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I think so. I wanna try it!" Lucy answered, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Her eyes took in everything before reaching into her pocket for a few jewel notes. She handed them over to the man working the table, and accepted her chips. The man began the spin and called for bets, so looking carefully, she took a chip and placed it on the black 8 square, then one on the red 12, and one on the black 4.

I glanced at her, my lip quirking up, and said, "Is there a reason you picked numbers in increments of 4?"

She laughed lightly, watching the ball spin around the wheel, "I like the number 4. I'm not even sure why, but it's my favorite."

"You have a favorite number?" I asked, a laugh rumbling in my chest.

She stuck her tongue out at my teasing. "Yeah, I do. So what!" she muttered, as she smacked my chest lightly.

"Red 12!" the dealer called out, catching our attention.

Lucy stood stunned for a moment, before jumping up and down, throwing her arms around me, as she screeched, "I won!"

The others at the table joined me in laughing at her reaction, as the dealer handed her the winnings. "This her first time in a casino?" a tall man with dark brown hair asked from across the table. I nodded while she turned around and sheepishly answered, "Yeah, sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. It's always fun to watch someone win their first time," he replied, scooting closer to the blonde by my side. The others turned back to their betting, but I noticed that he was no longer paying attention to anything but Lucy. I watched with narrowed eyes as the guy stuck out his hand to her, all but ignoring me, and introduced himself, "I'm Clark Paulson."

"Oh, I'm Lucy Heartfilia, and this is Laxus Dreyar," she said, waving her hand in my direction.

"Yes, hi," he called, effectively dismissing me, before directing his focus back towards Lucy, "So Lucy, lovely name by the way, what brings you to Sanguine Heart?"

She glanced back, and said brightly, "Umm...Laxus and I are on vacation."

I smiled down at her, before issuing a lethal glare at the rather wealthy looking man, who was trying to gain Lucy's favor. "Oh that's nice. Tell me Lucy, have you made use of the hot tubs yet? Perhaps we could enjoy one together some time," Clark said, taking her hand in his.

That was it. This little prick was getting on my nerves. "Yes, we have made use of the hot tub. We made damn good use of it. Now, back the fuck off."

"My dear Lucy, I can't believe you'd associate with such a disgusting man. So vulgar," he said, sneering at me.

I went to step forward, a growl sneaking out of my throat, when Lucy put her hand on my arm to stop me. She squared her shoulders, her eyes flashing, as she spit out, "I don't give a damn what you believe. Laxus isn't some fancy stuffed shirt executive like you, and I couldn't be happier about that. I've known men like you all my life, thinking you're better than everyone else, just because you have money. He's a better man than you could ever be, so you can just...go suck it!"

She huffed, grabbing my hand and stalked off, muttering something about stupid jack asses. I smirked at the stunned Clark and couldn't resist another dig, "You stupid little shit. Shouldn't piss off my girl like that."

I laughed raucously as I followed a fuming Lucy through the casino. I tugged on her arm, coming to a stop. She turned around to look a question at me. I pulled her into my chest, and looking down into her face, I grinned and told her, "That was fucking hot. You really tore into him."

Her mouth edged up as she said, "Well, he pissed me off. It was obvious that I was with you, and he was hitting on me right in front of me. It was so rude. And then he said all that nasty stuff about you. Pompous ass!"

"Are you really?" I asked, finding that I really wanted to know.

Her head tilted, as she scrunched her eyes in confusion, murmuring, "Am I what?"

I traced down her face as the words almost left me, "Are you really with me?" but I suddenly felt unsure about asking her. Maybe it was too soon. I didn't even know if she'd want anything to do with me when he got back. After all, I had a feeling that a number of people would react badly to us being together in any way. She may not want to deal with that. I sighed, before telling her, "Nothing. Let's go play Blackjack."

I drew away as she crossed her arms and offered an exasperated whine, "Laxus, why do you always do that?"

"Don't pout. Remember? it doesn't work on me," I teased lightly, trying to get her mind on something else.

She narrowed her eyes at me, and poked me in the chest, saying, "Don't make me bite you again."

I tugged her into me again, and purred into her ear, "Hmm...please do."

I chuckled as she pushed me away and said sternly, "You can just shut that shit up. You're not getting me to make out in public anymore."

"We're gonna test that theory. You know that, right?" I smirked at her, already imagining where I could make my move. _She'd be so flustered._

"No, we are not, Laxus Dreyar. You are going to behave yourself, do you hear me?" she lectured, as she edged away slowly, wagging her finger at me.

"Oh, come on. Just one kiss?" I countered, seeing how far I could push it.

She shook her head furiously, "Absolutely not. You know how that always goes."

A laugh pushed its way out of my throat at the sight of her watching me like I was some predator. _Hmm...that might not be too far off the mark_, I thought, as I envisioned myself stalking her like prey, just so I could eat her up. A sudden image of her sprawled naked across my bed hit me, and I shook my head, shoving the erotic scene from my mind. Thinking like that was only going to earn me another trip to the shower. I waved her over, saying, "Alright tease, if you insist, we'll behave for now. Let's go play Blackjack."

"You better not try anything you perv. I'm watching you," she muttered, eyeing me cautiously, as she walked back over to me. _If she could only see into my mind..._

"Yeah, yeah. I hear you. Taking the fun out of everything," I joked, looping my arm around her shoulders to lead her to the tables we were looking for.

She pinched my stomach, correcting primly, "No, I'm keeping us out of the trouble you seem so fond of."

I smiled down at her and said, "Only when it's with you."

She sent me an answering grin, "With the kind of trouble we get into, I can only be glad to hear it."

I burst out laughing, "Yeah, I'd have to agree with you on that."

We found a table with a couple of seats free and swapped our jewels for poker chips. The dealer dealt cards out to each of us and we tossed down our ante. I watched Lucy as she called out, "Hit me," like a pro. It was interesting to watch her at a game she actually seemed to know pretty well. I checked my own hand of 18 and told the dealer, "Stay."

The casino employee flipped over his card, showing a grand total of 20, which knocked my hand out, as well as Lucy's. We offered up another ante, and received new cards. This time, Lucy stayed, and I ordered another hit, causing myself a bust. The dealer repeated his earlier action, showing a combined number of 19. Lucy winked at me, as she turned over her card to reveal Blackjack. The game continued with the both of us having two hands apiece. I, of course, won some and lost some, but Lucy seemed to have a knack for it. She somehow managed to score a win for herself almost 75% of the time.

By the time we had finished up there, Lucy had accumulated somewhere in the vicinity of 2,400 jewels, and she was supremely pleased with herself. I took her hand, as we gathered her winnings and stood, saying, "You're really good at that game."

She beamed at me, chirping a happy, "Thanks! It's really fun!"

I pulled her towards the section for high stakes poker, telling her, "Come on. Time for you to see where the big money is."

"How much are we talking about?" Lucy asked curiously.

I smiled down at her, already getting antsy to see her expression, "You'll see. Take a look."

I watched as her eyes went large, and a surprised gasp left her mouth. Each of the players were offering their ante of 2,000 jewels, and the play went around the table, each person trading out cards quickly. A few people tossed their cards onto the table, calling out, "I fold." Then a player raised the bet another 4,000 jewels, and her face showed her shock, "So much money. Aren't they afraid they'll lose it all?"

"You don't play high stakes poker without understanding that you could walk away with nothing," I explained, as pulled a chair out and sat down.

She gawked at me, stuttering,"Y-you're gonna play? Do you have that kind of money?"

I rolled my eyes at her, and said, "S-class, Lucy. Of course, I do. High stakes poker's my game. Now, get over here and give me a good luck kiss."

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**_A/N: Wow, part of the casino scene is done. Hope I didn't get too technical, and I also hope I gave you enough detail. I will see you guys soon with the next chapter. I'm praying that it never takes me this long to update again. Sometimes, my life is so rude, getting in the way of my writing! Laters, baby. (Let me know if you know where that saying comes from! lol)_**


	15. I Want You To Be Mine

Here we are, after 2 weeks...And I have a little surprise in the chapter for you. Thought it was cute. Anyway, thanks for being patient - you all are the best! Love to my Beta **LittleWonderland** for her general awesomeness!

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Remember to fawn obsessively over Hiro Mashima, as he owns all things Fairy Tail.

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**CHAPTER 15: I WANT YOU TO BE MINE**

**Lucy's POV**

I hesitated for a moment at his words. Was he for real, or was he trying to start something in front of all these people? I figured it would be better to be safe then sorry. It wasn't that I minded kissing him; I loved kissing him. That was, in fact, the problem. I liked it entirely too much. It made me forget things, like where we were, that people could see us, that I was supposed to keep my clothes on in public.

"Put your hands on the table," I commanded, deciding on caution.

Laxus' face lit up as he laughed at me and followed my instructions. "What do you think I'm going to do?" he asked lightly.

"I have no idea. That's why I'm being smart and making you keep your hands where I can see them," I explained, pointing a finger at him, while the other players glanced in our directions with smiles on their faces.

The sexy man offered an unassuming smile, instantly making me suspicious of his intentions. There was nothing unassuming about him, so he was definitely up to something. I leaned my head down, trying to keep my body out of his reach, and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. As I lifted my head, his usual smirk made an appearance, and before I could back away, he yanked me into his lap and smashed his lips against mine.

I fought him for a second, running on pure adrenaline at being caught, until I realized I didn't want to pull away and relaxed into the kiss. I slipped my arms around his neck, as he claimed my mouth, and the sounds of the casino faded into the dark. It was just me and him, his lips on mine, his tongue ravishing my mouth, his arms holding me close. Of course, that was until the sound of cheers and laughter reached my ears.

I left his mouth in a hurry and looked around to find scores of people watching us once again making out in public. I dropped my blushing face into my hands, as a groan slipped from my mouth, "I can't believe we did it again."

Laxus chuckled, seemingly completely unembarrassed at the audience we'd procured, and whispered in my ear, "I did say we would test the theory, though I have to say, I didn't think it'd be so soon."

I backhanded his chest, and scowled, muttering, "Shut up, perv. This is all your fault."

He pulled me closer to him as he nuzzled my neck, his words sending a shiver down my body, "I can't help it if I like you in my lap."

I yelped, jumping from his lap, determined to put some distance between myself and that wicked tongue of his. His laugh broke out again as he handed the dealer a stack of jewel notes. The man behind the table gave him a stern look, glancing over at me as if to say "No more distractions." Laxus grunted in response, obviously not caring what the man thought, and accepted his chips.

The play began when the players threw in the 2,000 jewel buy-in. I watched as Laxus studied his cards, before selecting 2 from his hand, and tossing them onto the table in front of him. The dealer went around the table, with each player requesting a differing number of cards as replacements. Once they got their hands, some folded, some increased the bet.

When the play went to Laxus, he eyed the others around the table before upping the ante by another 5,000 jewels. I gawked at the ease in which he tossed around that kind of money. _He must have plenty __to burn_, I thought, and began pondering just how much the S-class missions generally paid. For the first time, I wondered if I needed to be working harder to achieve S-class status, if for no other reason than to ensure that I could afford to my rent. Then again, if my team had anything to do with it, we'd leave those missions with less than half of the reward anyway. Looks like either way, I was screwed, S-class mage or not.

Thinking of Natsu, Erza, and Gray made me smile, but then, I began wondering what they were up to. I hadn't gotten to say goodbye before I left, but I had left a letter for them in my house. I knew they'd find it, seeing how they were always in my house anyway. Sometimes, I considered that they may not be there because of me, but rather that they just liked my place. After all, it was only half of the time, that I was actually home when they came by.

The thought then occurred to me, that I may have to deal with some bad reactions to my leaving on a job without them, not to mention my teaming up with Laxus on one. I knew there were going to be questions, and I wasn't entirely sure how to answer them. I knew why I'd gone on this job with Laxus, but what should I say about my relationship with him? Did we, in fact, have a relationship? Was he interested in continuing things when we got home?

I pushed the questions from my mind, as I had no way to answer them, and I didn't want to spoil our time together. After all, how could I tell anyone else what we were to each other, when I wasn't even sure myself? Turning my attention back to the poker game, I could see that Laxus had just won a rather large sum of money.

He angled his head to the side, his eyes questioning me about my space out. I shook my head and let my lips tug up into a smile. He stared at me a second more before nodding shortly and diving back into his game. He kept his face so stoic, I wondered how anyone could possibly figure out what he was thinking. He had an uncanny poker face, easily explaining why he'd done so well.

Laxus played several more hands, winning more than he lost, before glancing at the clock and announcing his exit. He cashed in his chips, and receiving his money, threw his arm around me, leading me off to our room to deposit our winnings. We walked in silence until we reached our floor, each lost in our own thoughts, before I decided I'd had enough quiet.

"How much did you come away with?" I asked, sliding my hand to a position low on his hip.

He looked down at me curiously, and said, "A little over 50,000 jewels. Now, tell me what happened back there. You were thinking awfully hard about something while I was playing."

I stalled for a moment, wondering how to answer. _Was it too soon to ask his intentions?_ I didn't want to seem like a little girl, asking for clarification on our status, but I hated not knowing where I stood with him. I knew my heart was already getting involved, and I didn't want to end up hurt. _Do I risk everything by asking what he wants, or do I just let things be?_ God, all these questions were driving me nuts. It was too much to deal with.

I made my decision as he opened the door to our suite, so I pulled him toward the couch. I turned my body towards him and sighed, trying to figure out how to start this conversation I felt we needed to have. "Laxus, what do you want from me, from us?" I asked, as I hesitantly looked up at his face.

His eyes widened a bit, as he asked quietly, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what happens now? We're almost to the end of the mission, and then, we'll be heading home. Shit, I feel so stupid right now. I guess, I want to know if this is just fun for you, or is it more?" I explained quietly, looking down at the cushions beneath me.

Moments passed as he sat there, saying nothing. My heart crawled up my throat as I worried. _What if this connection is all in my head? Does he not feel the same way about me?_ My pulse was beginning to hammer we sat there in silence, my hands clenched together. I just felt so raw, and scared, I admitted to myself. There had been no one else that had gotten under my skin like he had, and now, I could only feel foolish for believing that it had been the same for him. He was older, vastly more experienced. _I must seem so ignorant to him right now_, I thought.

I stood up as I felt my eyes begin to fill. I wasn't about to compound my foolishness by crying in front of him. "I'm sorry. Just...just forget I said anything," I fumbled out, as I all but ran from the room.

**Laxus' POV**

_What the hell just happened..._ What did she mean? Was she asking me all that because she wanted to be more? Was this her way of saying she wanted to really be with me, even when we went home? I stood to my feet, as the sound of her soft cries reached my ears. _Shit_, I thought, _how did I manage to fuck it up again?_ This whole thing was so far out of my league; I didn't have a clue what to do. So, I did what felt right. I followed her.

I listened, as I entered the bedroom, and realized she was holed up in the bathroom. "Lucy," I called, tapping lightly on the door.

Sniffling a bit, she answered, her voice struggling to remain steady, "Y-yes? Did you need the bathroom?"

"No, I need you to come out. I want to talk to you," I said from my place on the other side of the door. I waited for her response, wondering if she was going to acknowledge my request, when I heard the lock being turned.

I stepped back as the door swung open and she emerged, trying valiantly to smile. "We don't have a lot of time. We should probably head downstairs," she said.

Her red-rimmed eyes pulled at my heart, and I realized how badly she was hurt. "It can wait for a minute. Let's sit," I said, reaching out for her hand. She stepped back just a bit, moving around me to take a seat on the bed. My stomach dropped at her actions. _She didn't want me to touch her?_ I didn't understand how much of a habit it had become to just touch her, or how hollow I would feel if I couldn't do it anymore. I didn't like the way it felt, this inability to feel her closeness.

I couldn't accept it; I wouldn't. I sat next to her, everything in me screaming out for me to take her in my arms, but I waited. I looked over her form, noticing her hands clasped together on her lap, her knuckles white, her back so straight and proud, in spite of the waves of sadness rolling off of her. I didn't want to make it worse. I wanted Lucy back, the one who poured herself into our kisses, who threatened to bite me, the one that fit so perfectly under my arm. I didn't like this closed off version of her. I wanted my Lucy back.

"Lucy," I said, as I slowly grasped her hands with my own, "Why are you pulling away?"

She mumbled as she eased her hands from my grasp, "I just...I can't...do this anymore."

"What are you talking about? Everything was fine. What happened?" I prodded, trying to capture her hand again.

She shot to her feet, her eyes shining with wetness again, as she faced me. "Just stop it! I don't want to do this anymore!" she yelled, wrapping her arms around her.

I strode over towards her, shouting, "That's a lie, Lucy! I can tell you still want it. You have to clench your hands to keep from reaching out to me. Tell me the truth!"

"Fine! You want the truth?" she screamed, "The truth is I want you. I want you more than any man I've ever met. Does that make you happy?"

I grabbed her arm as she turned away. "Yes! It makes me fucking delirious! So, what's the problem?"

She shook her head in defeat, as her anger washed away, "The problem is, I want more than that. I want to be with you, not just on this job. I want to drag you off on stupid dates, and cuddle on my couch, watching movies. I want...I just want you, but it's beginning to look like you aren't interested in the same thing."

I yanked her towards me as a smile filled my face. "Lucy, look at me," I murmured, tugging her face up to mine. As our eyes met, I brushed my lips against hers. She reared back, a tear coursing down her face, and cried out, "Don't toy with me!"

Stepping close, I pulled her in and wrapped my arms around her. "Baby, I'm not playing with you. I'm trying to tell you..." I stopped as I floundered with my words, "What I'm trying to say is this. I want you too. I want to toss you in that bed and take you over and over again. I'm not going to lie about that, but that's not all I want either. I want to go home with you after this mission and be able to touch you whenever I want. I want to sit and listen to music with you, and take you out dancing. And I want to walk into that guild and tell every damn man sniffing around you, that you're mine."

By the time I'd finished, I was almost growling. The thought of all those guys looking at her had never bothered me before, but now it did. I didn't want those fuckers even thinking about touching her. She was mine. I watched her face as she stood there, stunned, before she whispered, "You really mean that? You really want me?"

"I don't think that was ever in question," I told her, smirking as her face flushed, "But yes, I mean it."

She reached up, pulling my face down, and kissed me. I groaned, deepening the contact, as I crushed her body to mine. This was my Lucy, the only one who could disarm me with just a touch of her lips. It was startling to realize, in those brief moments of distance between us, how badly I'd missed this. As the kiss subsided, and our heads separated, my eyes caught sight of the clock, flashing 2:52 at me.

"Oh shit! We're gonna be late!"

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_**A/N: I swear, I keep doing this to myself. I had decided that this conversation would happen after they got home, but once again, my story has taken over! lol Oh well, I hope you like how it turned out :)**_


	16. First Date

_Here you go my darlings! Thank you so much for waiting! Missing my buddy and beta, **LittleWonderland** who has unfortunately been bogged down in real life and has been MIA for some time on here._

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_Hiro Mashima is the man, for coming up with Fairy Tail, and of course Laxus. He's the owner, not me._

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**CHAPTER 16: First Date**

**Lucy's POV**

"I can't believe they didn't show up!" I groused to the blonde man walking beside me, "What are we supposed to do now?"

He shook his head, before replying, "Nothing we can do, but wait until the next drop, and hope they show then."

I groaned as we entered our room and I sank onto the couch. _Why couldn't anything with us be simple? I was beginning to believe that would never happen. _Then something occurred to me," Laxus, do you suppose they've figured out who we are?"

"Of course it's possible. Then again, they may only know that there are mages here, but not specifically who it is," he answered, sitting beside me and throwing his arms across the back of the couch.

I nodded, silently hoping that was the case. That would put us in a much better position than if they'd already ferreted out our identities. Though, they'd probably see that as evening things up, seeing how we already knew what they looked like. I sighed, wondering how long we'd be here, attempting this job. It wasn't that I hadn't enjoyed our time here. It was obvious that I had, but I was ready to get back home, not to mention the fact that my team was only going to get more anxious the longer we were away.

They were a good group, but they had very little understanding in the way of boundaries. It'd take just about nothing for them decide that I needed them and show up unannounced. They meant well, but with the way things were going with Laxus, I was positive that would be a very bad idea indeed. I could already see Erza brandishing a sword at his neck, while Natsu spat fire, and Gray attempted to freeze his balls off. I don't know why they'd gotten it into their heads that I needed their help with the whole dating thing, but it had been that way from nearly the beginning. Honestly, who could understand why they did the things they did?

"Hey Lucy, since we're gonna be here for a couple more days, how about we go on a date of sorts?" Laxus asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I looked up at him with a quick smile, as he waited for my answer, and said, "What did you have in mind?"

Laxus grinned happily, before responding, "Dinner and dancing. How's that sound?"

"Sounds like fun! When did you want to go?" I asked, pleased with his plan. He didn't know what he was getting himself into, dancing with me. Not only did I have my side job, dancing at the restaurant, but I'd had ballroom dance lessons for several years as a young girl. My father wasn't about to have his daughter disgrace him at his important business parties. At least all those incessant lessons would come in handy after all. Now, I just needed the perfect dress.

"Hmm...how long would it take you to get ready? We could go dancing first, and then dinner," Laxus mused, pushing a hand through his hair.

I nodded my head in agreement, as I stood to my feet. "Well, in that case, I'm going to get ready now! It shouldn't take me too long," I called out, walking back towards the bedroom.

"Okay, but let me get my clothes out of there first. I'll get dressed out here," he said, following closely behind me.

After Laxus had collected his things, I decided to call out Virgo. I figured there wasn't enough time to run around the town, trying to find a dress, and I really wanted this date with Laxus. Everything we had done up to this point was fun, sexy even, but the time had always felt stolen. It was almost as if I had never let myself believe that it could be this way after we went home, that we could honestly be together. Now that I knew it was possible, that he felt the same way about me, I wanted to jump in with both feet, so to speak.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden, Virgo!" I called out, holding her golden key before me with a smile. She would know just what to do, and she could always be counted on to find the perfect outfit for any occasion. Of course, her taste ran towards incredibly sexy most times, but in this instance, that was exactly what I was looking for.

The pink haired maid appeared with a poof and a jingle of her chains, asking, "Punishment, Princess?"

She looked so hopeful that I had to laugh. "No, Virgo. I need your help with something. I'm on a job-" I began, only to be interrupted.

The Spirit girl questioned, her face a mask of teasing, "Oh, did you and Natsu need matching clothes again, Princess?"

"No!" I called out, exasperated with her antics, "Like I was trying to tell you, I'm on a job with Laxus at a hotel and casino. We're going ballroom dancing in a little while, and I don't have a dress."

She cocked her head, as she studied my face, searching for who knows what. "Is something going on? Why are you here with him?" Virgo asked, her tone suddenly worried.

I rushed to assure her, understanding how it must look, "No, no. Everything's fine. I just needed a break from the team's destruction. Our last job reward got eaten up by repair costs, so my rent still needed to be paid, and Laxus offered."

"So, why are you guys going dancing?" the costumed female asked slyly, seeming to know there was more to the story.

_How did she always know what I was up to?_ She was entirely too observant. "Fine, I'll tell you, but don't mention it to any of the others, okay? We're still working it out," I sighed. I should have known, when I called her out, that she would easily figure out I was hiding something.

"Okay," she chirped happily, "Now, what kind of dress do you want?"

I thought for a moment, tossing out ideas, "Well, I want to look sophisticated, but sexy. I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard though. I'm thinking dark blue for the color. What do you think?"

"I think I know just the thing, Princess," the maid answered with a smile, before disappearing for several minutes. She reappeared after a while, with a dress and a pair of shoes hidden behind her back. She brought the items out in front of her with a flourish, and I squealed in delight, "Oh Virgo, it's perfect!"

She helped me slip it on, and I gasped at the sight that greeted me in the mirror. It was honestly stunning, midnight blue and strapless, with the breast area sequined and sparkling in the light. From the bodice, it flowed in sheer layers, sheet after sheet of see-through fabric, which blended to hide my legs from view. Each layer was a slightly different length, and parted when I took a step. It would look amazing on the dance floor, and I couldn't wait for Laxus to see it.

"So, can you tell me now what's going on between you and that man?" Virgo asked pointedly, as she sat me down on the bed, and knelt before me on the floor. Yep, she definitely knew something already. She grabbed the silver dancing shoes, sliding them onto my feet, and strapped them around my ankles. I looked down, enjoying the sight of the little sequins on the top twinkling at me.

I waved her up onto the bed, figuring it was now or never. Besides, it might be really good to get another girl's perspective. "Well, I didn't intend to get involved with Laxus, but well, as lame as it sounds, it just happened. I feel like I've really gotten to know him since we've been here. He's opened up to me, explaining things about his past. He's so hard on himself about the things he's done wrong. I don't know, Virgo, I just feel like this could really be something. At first, I thought it might be all about sex for him, but-"

"Wait, you mean he's already seduced you?" she asked, obviously stunned at the quick turn of events, before her face turned stern, "Should he be punished?"

"Oh, no-no. We haven't gone that far, though we've gotten kind of close," I admitted rather reluctantly, "Does that make me sound like a slut?"

The Spirit quickly shook her head, "No, I just worried that he might have taken advantage of the situation, but if you're okay with how it's going, then I won't worry. Now, what do you mean 'close'?"

"Well, we've kissed a lot, and um..." I began, feeling my face flush in embarrassment, "We've kind of been in a situation where we probably would have, if we hadn't gotten interrupted. That happened a couple of times, but I realized earlier today that I needed to know where I stand with him before I let myself go that far."

"What did he say?" Virgo asked, nodding her head in agreement.

I smiled, my happiness easily showing through, "He said he wanted me, not just for fun while we're here, but also when we get home. He wants to date me. He said he wants to tell all the guys back home that I'm his."

"You seem really happy, Princess. I'm really glad you found a nice guy," the maiden said, before turning playful, wagging her eyes suggestively, "So now that you know he's serious about you, when are you gonna jump his bones?"

"Virgo! I didn't say I was going to anytime soon!" I scolded, blushing furiously at her teasing. I didn't know why it was so embarrassing. When I thought about getting Laxus naked in my head, I wasn't nervous or anything, but talking about it with someone else was killing me. I didn't know whether to admit how badly I wanted him, or profess my undying virginity.

She cracked a smile at me, and said, "Oh please, you've got 'getting laid soon' written all over your face."

I rolled my eyes at her and simply said, "Okay, time for you to go back. I've got to call out Cancer to do my hair."

"I'll let him know you need him," Virgo said, adding on before she began disappearing, "Have a good time getting into his pants."

_Oh, dear Mavis, that girl was so bizarre sometimes._ It took almost no time for Cancer to show up, and I gave myself into his capable hands, after securing his silence on the Laxus situation. He studied my attire critically, turning me this way and that, before announcing proudly, "I am going to make you a showstopper."

He curled my hair, and pinned a small portion of it up at the top of my head with jeweled clips, allowing long silky tendrils to hang, framing my face. The rest he left down, curling around my shoulders and down my back. He hurried through my makeup, shading my dark eyes with deep blues and glittering silver, dusting my cheeks with a hint of blush, and finishing off with a sheer gloss for my lips. He took a step back, nodding his head in satisfaction at what he termed a 'work of art', before leading me to the full length mirror once again to see the entire ensemble altogether.

"Cancer," I breathed, feeling my eyes prick, "It's amazing. Thank you so much. I don't even know what to say."

"Say nothing more," the Crab Spirit replied, "Just go enjoy yourself tonight. Don't worry, he's going to think you're lovely."

I looked up at him in surprise. _How did he understand just what I was thinking?_ He smiled knowingly, and simply faded away. I stood there, marveling again at the wonderful friends I'd made when I'd gained my Spirits. They were incredibly kind, and always there for me. I felt close to all of them, like family. Well, all of them, except Aquarius, because she was horrendous, and Scorpio. It wasn't that he and I didn't get along; we actually got along quite well, but because of the strain with Aquarius, it made it difficult for me to actually get to know Scorpio all that well.

I shrugged it off, as I reached for the tiny strap Virgo had left for me. She had made it for me, as a way to keep my keys on my person in rare situations like these. I attached the strap to my upper thigh, and slid the keys snuggly into their compartment, before smoothing my dress back down and opening the door to join my date. I stepped into the sitting room slowly, my eyes searching out Laxus immediately and finding him lounging on the couch, his eyes closed and his face relaxed.

I smiled at the picture he made, body relaxed in repose, no worry to mar his face. Quite simply, he was gorgeous. "Laxus, you ready to go?" I asked softly, knowing he would still be able to hear me.

Eyes popping open, he immediately grinned in response, before taking in the whole sight of me. He stood up smoothly, and moved towards me, his face giving no indication of what he thought. I shouldn't have worried, though, because as he took me in his arms, he whispered, "Beautiful."

He leaned down, capturing my mouth in a slow kiss, and I sank into him, breathing in his intoxicating scent. I was happy, so damn happy in this moment, and I just didn't have the words to tell him all the ways he tugged at my soul. It was simply beyond me to describe, so I showed him, giving all of myself to him in that one kiss, hoping he would see what I was offering.

I sighed as we parted, and opened my eyes to find him staring down at me. His eyes held so many things, it was hard to decipher them all, but I could see much of what I was feeling. Overwhelming happiness, hunger, satisfaction. He groaned a bit, as he stepped back a bit to look me over again, "God, why do you do this to me?"

"Do what? Come on, I wanna dance," I answered, stepping back from him and turning to head to the door.

Before I could take 2 steps, he had pulled me into him, my back pressed tightly to his chest, as he rasped against my ear, "I swear, you're making me crazy. I think I can't possibly want you anymore than I already do, and then you come out here, looking like this."

I shivered as his words pulled at something deep inside me. Virgo was right. I wanted him badly, and I knew I wouldn't be able to hold myself back for much longer. He was obviously struggling with the same issue, but tonight was special. It was to be our first date, and I didn't want to miss it. So, I pulled away, turning around to take his face in my hands. "I want you too, Laxus, so much that I can barely breathe sometimes, but I don't want to miss tonight. I want to be yours out there on the dance floor, for everyone to see."

He closed his eyes, as if he needed the visual distance to pull himself together, and nodded his head. Opening his eyes, he dipped down to brush his lips against mine, and said, "Then let's go, beautiful."

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_**A/N: Oh mama! I do love me some LaLu! lol **_


	17. Everything

_Thank you guys for being so patient with me - this chapter has been more than a little difficult to write. I got through most of the dance scene (it was beautiful, I tell you) and then my laptop shut down and I lost all the work I had done. It took me days to feel like even messing with it, because I was so depressed about the loss. So, the dance sequence is now done, but I will tell you that I don't feel like it is as good as my first draft. I apologize profusely for that, and hope that it still lives up to your expectations. BTW, the song mentioned is a personal favorite of mine by Brian Adams. He's amazing. Special thanks to **XxShyxX** for talking this part out with me. Although I didn't use your wonderful suggestions on the song and dance, I really appreciate them!_

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_Hiro Mashima is still the owner of all things Fairy Tail, so don't mistake me for him. After all, he's a guy and I'm a girl. lol_

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**CHAPTER 17: EVERYTHING**

**LUCY'S POV**

We made our way towards the ballroom in pleasant silence, enjoying each other's company, feeling no need for words. It was our first real date, and I couldn't quite believe I was on the arm of the most attractive man in our guild. It was amazing to think of all that had transpired since I had left home a day ago. It would be foolish of me to believe that I had fallen in love so quickly, but there was no doubt in my mind that I was falling, swiftly and with nothing to catch me but the man himself.

I glanced up at Laxus, taking in the sight of his broad shoulders and muscular arms. He filled out his suit in a way that made my heart flutter and my mouth go dry. Looking at him, I could feel that familiar pull deep inside me, that sense that this was the real thing, that he was the one I'd been waiting for. Then he looked down at me, and the air that had flowed so smoothly into my lungs suddenly stalled, and I was at a loss. The moment froze in my mind, and I knew I'd remember it for the rest of my life, the two of us standing just outside the doors to the ballroom, as if we were standing on the threshold of the beginning of everything we'd ever wanted.

I shook the romantic notion from my mind, determined not to worry over the future, but to enjoy every second of the time I had with Laxus. We walked forward, as the doors were pulled apart by two well-dressed employees of the hotel, and entered the luxurious room. My eyes took in the sight of everything, the couples dancing across the pearl white dance floor just down the stairs, the musicians finishing up a rousing number, the candlelit dining tables in cozy little balconies off to the right.

"It's stunning," I breathed, a smile lighting my face as excitement shot through me. I felt a tug on my arm, and let Laxus lead me down the sloping staircase.

He glanced over at me, as the band launched into a slow song, 'Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman', and asked, "Care to try a Viennese Waltz?"

I nodded my head quickly, my feet gliding onto the dance floor with ease, before he stepped into me, slipping effortlessly into his starting position. He wrapped an arm around me, and grasping my hand, pushed us off to join the other couples. He led me around the room, our bodies gliding together, this man my perfect partner and I his. He gave me a quick spin out, before drawing me back in to dip me low to the ground. My breath shuddered in my throat as he held me there for a moment, staring deep into my eyes.

I swallowed hard at the expression on Laxus' face. It all seemed to be there in his eyes, everything he felt, everything he wanted. My heart pounded as he pulled me back up, and I found I couldn't look away from him. The room melted away, the dance floor suddenly empty, and there was only me and the man I wanted. He swept me into his arms again, waltzing me across the dance area, his eyes never leaving mine.

It came as no surprise in this moment, that I knew I was ready to let go. There was nothing stopping me anymore, no fear of this being a game, no worries over whether he'd still want me when we got home. I wanted him more than I had ever wanted anything in my life, and I was ready. I was done holding back; I wanted to jump in with both feet. Tonight, he would be mine.

As the music swelled, Laxus sent me out into a spin, letting go as I made my first turn. My dress flowed out around me, and I felt free, and seeing how he watched me, with my arms thrown out around me, I felt beautiful. He stepped forward, pulling my backwards into his chest, and lifting my feet off the ground, spun me around. I leaned my head back against his shoulder, and lifting a hand to his face, sighed at the perfection in this moment .

He set me down, and as he gathered me in his arms, leading me once more around the room, I couldn't help thinking this was the most romantic date I'd ever been on. It wasn't this place, or even this amazing dance. It was him; he was...everything, and the things I felt for him were overwhelming me. This was the first time I'd ever really enjoyed a waltz, and it was simply because it was with him. He made it perfect.

Laxus spun me out again, and as he pulled me back in, he wrapped an arm around my waist and the other arm under my leg, lifting me up completely, twirling us around and around again. I wrapped my arms around his neck, leaning into him as we continued to spin. As we slowed, he let go of my legs, holding me only around the waist, allowing my legs to fly out around us, my dress rippling in the breeze we created.

As my feet found the ground again, he sent me into a final spin, pulling me back slowly, taking one last dip. He leaned over me as my back left its arch, and I reached my hands up to clasp his face, putting everything I felt in my eyes, before pulling his face down to mine. I brushed a thumb over his mouth and leaned in to press a kiss there.

He eased me up, bringing my body flush with his own, and kissed me. It was gentle, and tame compared to some of our others, but it was perfect in this moment. I sank into him, relishing in the feel of his mouth on mine, as our bodies continued to sway back and forth. we were drawn from our private moment by the sounds of claps all around us, and pulling away from each other, realized that once again, we had an audience. Somehow, even in the most romantic of our settings, we still somehow managed to make out to a crowd.

**LAXUS' POV**

I turned to see all the people watching us, and sighed. We were never going to get any time to ourselves. _Just one moment, that's all I wanted, just one damn moment. Was that too much to ask?_ I nodded at the applause and pulled Lucy away from the dance floor, heading towards the hostess. She smiled brightly at the two of us, offering an energetic greeting.

"Laxus Dreyar. I called ahead," I said, smiling down at Lucy's stunned face.

The girl looked over her list and declared, "Oh yes, table for two. Just follow me." She led us up some stairs and down a hallway, before drawing open a curtain and ushering us through. We stepped out on a private balcony overlooking the dance floor, as the girl announced that our server would be with us momentarily.

I tugged on Lucy's hand, drawing her attention away from the sights below us, and she turned to me with a happy expression. "Laxus, this is amazing, absolutely perfect," she said, her head tilted to the side as she looked at me.

I smiled at her, saying only, "It's not over yet." I stepped back to pull her chair out with a flourish, and bowing low, I threw my hand out, directing her to her seat, saying, "Your chair, milady."

She sat down with a laugh, lifting herself slightly as I pushed her chair to the table. "Why, thank you sir. You're too kind," she giggled, as she tried to compose herself and sit regally.

I made my way to the other side of the table, and handing over a menu, I winked at her and said, "Get whatever you want, babe. You know I'm good for it."

"I see," she mused, as she settled her chin in her hand, her eyes shining with mirth, "I do believe you're trying to sweep me off my feet."

"Hmm...I can neither confirm nor deny my intentions. However, I can say that if you recall, I just did that on the dance floor," I proposed lightly.

The blonde laughed at my observation, nodding her head in agreement, "Yes, you did. Speaking of which, where did you learn to dance like that?"

I shrugged a bit, as I answered, "I learned a few years ago, just after I got S-class status. Bixlow, of course, refused to join us, but Freed, Ever, and I took a class together. We realized that knowing how to 'behave' in a ballroom setting could open doors for higher paying jobs with the upper class of people. That type doesn't want just anyone hanging around at their parties; you have to be classy."

Lucy nodded a bit, her expression understanding. "I know just what you mean, trust me. I had to live in that mess, dealing with all those critical highbrow people. I have to tell you, this was the first time I honestly enjoyed myself ballroom dancing."

"Then I suppose I should tell you that I'm pretty glad I took those lessons. I never actually liked that kind of dancing before. I just used it as a way of pulling in as much money as I could on jobs," I admitted, wagging my brows at her as I finished, "But dancing with you...that was hot."

She flashed me a smile, her face showing her amusement. "That's something we can definitely agree on," she acknowledged quickly.

"Ahh...so you're saying you think I'm hot," I teased, enjoying myself immensely. I loved picking at her about us, and waiting to see whether she'd get flustered or come back swinging with that saucy attitude I loved so much. It didn't take a genius to understand the reaction I was trying to get out of her. I wanted to see that sassy side come out. She narrowed her eyes at me, and I knew I had her. _Here it comes..._

"Oh, you should know by now that I think you're hot. I'd think it would be easy to see, considering that every time we get close, I damn near lose my mind," she all but purred, edging her prominent chest further over the top of the table, "But dancing with you tonight went so far beyond hot. I wanted to put my hands all over you. I wanted to drag you out of here and..."

She trailed off as my mouth dropped open, her face showing a supreme satisfaction with my inability to speak. _Damn, she went right past sassy and straight into seductive._ Though it took a moment, I finally managed to find my words, and opened my mouth. "And what?" I asked, my heart pounding faster as I waited to hear her finish.

I watched as her tongue peeked out to trace over her bottom lip, before she continued in a heated whisper, "And...strip you naked in the first private place I could find."

Breathing in sharply, I sprang from my seat, and snatching Lucy up, smashed my mouth down on hers. I took her mouth in a flurry, my control gone, completely exchanged for a haze of desire. All I could think about was her, her mouth, her body. I wanted everything she had to give, and I didn't think I could wait any longer to have it. She clung to my body, and I knew she could feel my arousal pressing against her, but she didn't push me away. She moved closer, rubbing against me wantonly, as if the same fever that had come over me had overcome her as well.

I took my mouth away from hers and looked in her eyes and asked, "Does this mean what I think it does?"

"Let's get out of here," she breathed, her eyes full of conviction, not a sliver of doubt to be seen.

We turned as a unit to the doorway, when a voice shouted out above the quiet, "Ladies and gentlemen, your attention if you please!" We glanced over the side of the balcony to find a number of men stepping onto the dance floor, all seeming to be well-dressed. As the voice spoke again, all eyes were drawn to the man in the center of the others. "Our plans have been altered due to a certain couple, and now we're here to return the favor. Don't worry, we'll make sure this is the most entertaining robbing you've ever experienced!" he finished with a laugh, as he looked straight up at us.

Anger swept over me at the loss of yet another moment with Lucy. We had been interrupted more times now than I could possibly count, and I was ready to lose my fucking mind. "Son of a bitch! Can we not get a goddamned minute alone without everyone trying to fucking ruin it?!"

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_A/N: Damn, poor Laxus and Lucy never get to have any fun. _


	18. Fight For Me

_And here it is! The long awaited fight scene! I have worked hard on this chapter, researching ideas for different powers for the bad guys! So, I hope it is everything you hoped it would be! Thanks so much to **Deathsembrace137** for reading over my work and helping me decide what sounds good! You're amazing! Thanks also to **XxShyxX** for offering some really great ideas for the fight. Sorry I ended up changing things at the last minute, but sometimes it just works out that way. Now,last thanks goes to all of you readers - you guys are the absolute best!_

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_Hiro Mashima is the owner of Fairy Tail - I'm just a woman that loves to invent FT romance :) _

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**CHAPTER 18: FIGHT FOR ME**

**LAXUS'S POV**

I flashed a glare at the bastards on the ground floor, before my attention was turned to the equally frustrated woman at my side. I swallowed hungrily as she lifted her leg to plant her foot on the chair, her hand parting the folds of her dress to show the entire length of her beautifully tanned leg, and grabbed her keys from a pocket strapped to her thigh. Desire swept through my body again, and I shook it away, knowing I needed to focus. _Kick ass now, devour her later, Laxus_...I admonished myself.

We shared a look before she nodded and took my hand, drawing back the curtain and stepping through. She stopped in the narrow hallway, staying hidden from the robbers waiting for us, and at my look of confusion, she raised a finger to her mouth and drew a key forth, whispering the words for the incantation, "Open, Gate of the Maiden, Virgo."

The pink-haired spirit popped out stealthily, as though she already knew the need for quiet, and Lucy instructed, "Virgo, I need you to keep watch from the Spirit World. We don't know what powers they have, so I'd rather be cautious, and have an ace in the hole. If something happens, open your gate and come on out."

The maid spirit nodded silently and saluted before fading away. I felt a lip quirk up at her cunning, as we hastened downstairs. We didn't want to keep them waiting long enough to make them suspicious. As we stepped onto the dance floor, we separated, putting a small amount of distance between us, not much but enough to fight safely.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as Lucy shifted into a defensive stance, her keys clutched in one hand, her other on her whip. She looked so fierce, and I smirked at the men before us. It didn't matter what their magic was, or how strong they were; we were going to kick their asses. The man who'd done all the talking thus far stepped forward as the others fanned out a bit, forming a large half circle around the two of us. "So, you're the two mages wreaking havoc on our plans, huh? We've been watching you, and I have to say, the two of you have seemed more than a little preoccupied on this job," the man taunted, his men lighting up with raucous laughter, "The hot tub was interesting for sure."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the man, her hand turning white around her keys, as a threatening growl slid up my throat, and I rumbled, "What did you just say?"

"Oh, but that was nothing compared to what you two were up to at the beach. That was impressive to say the least," he murmured, his mouth slipping into a disgustingly lecherous grin, and I snapped firing off a shot of lightning right at his face. The lightning flew through the air, reaching him in the blink of an eye, when suddenly he wasn't there. The yellow bolt shot right through where he had been standing, and hit the man behind, sending him flying back into the wall and promptly dropping to the floor in a heap.

"Open, Gate of the Lion, Leo! Open, Gate of the Ram, Aries!" Lucy shouted, drawing out two more Spirits with ease, as she commanded, "Aries, Wool Wall - dome shape to contain the fight! Loke, Lion Brilliance!"

A blast of pink went off, puffing out around the lot of us, until the whole dance floor was closed off away from the innocents. Loke rushed forward, calling out what I knew would be a huge flash of light, and I closed my eyes for an instant to protect my vision. As I opened my eyes again, I heard Lucy call out, "Aries, Wool Bomb!"

The pink haired girl squeaked, "I'm sorry!" and thrust her hands out, bombing the mages in front of us with a large puff of wool, the fluffy stuff spreading out like a cloud of cotton candy, as a couple of them sighed in happiness about the softness. The mages had been surprised, but it hadn't caught them all, one being the obvious leader and the other a man who had yet not revealed his magic.

At the corner of my vision, I caught movement, as the leader winked into my line of periphery. I threw a hand out in his direction, shooting a vicious jolt of lightning at him, but once again, the man blinked out of existence, only to appear further away at the edge of the wool barrier. I could hear Lucy off to my left, coordinating with her spirits for the other still free mage, and I focused on the irritating man on my right. I shot off a barrage of Lightning Bullets in a path, hoping the large area would suffice to hit him at least once, but he just winked back into my side of the battle field, and I snapped at him, "Just stay still, you annoying fuck!"

With a shout from Lucy, I whipped my head in her direction, and caught sight of the man she was fighting, suddenly split in two identical twins. One stepped forward, raising his hand at the pink-haired spirit, her body immediately going stiff, while the other used both hands to lift various items into the air. Suddenly, the wool woman launched an attack at Loke, catching him completely off guard. The lion spirit screamed his surprise as he was thrown back. He quickly jumped to his feet, when a bottle flew at him, and smashed right into his face, knocking the cocky spirit out cold, his body instantly dissolving.

"Close, Gate of the Ram!" Lucy screeched as Aries lined up for another attack. The woman disappeared with a pop, and Lucy grabbed at her whip, releasing the magical stream with a snap, before launching it at one of the men before her. She tugged it tight as it wrapped around the one he assumed had been controlling her spirit. The man shouted curses as he struggled in her grasp, before the other one raised his hands, calling forth a clang of metal, and I looked up to see a collection of silverware heading straight for Lucy.

I shot a massive blast at the halved mages, frying their nerves, and causing instant shut down. The silverware clanged to the floor as the two dropped, sliding back into a single man. Lucy offered a quick smile of thanks before turning back to the huge pink pile of enemy mages, and I found myself looking straight at my target, his face screwed up in anger, as he hurled a knife at my chest, before blinking back out again.

Twisting to the side, the knife barely grazing my shoulder, I grunted, looking around quickly for the sneaky mage, finding him pop up behind me only long enough to launch another knife at me. I threw myself back as the blade flew dangerously close to my face. I was getting seriously pissed, and I needed to take him down. If he decided to go after Lucy, she could get hurt, and I'd be damned if I'd let this bastard hurt her.

**LUCY'S POV**

I watched as Laxus hunched down on the floor and I worried that he'd been hurt. Then his head turned, and I could see his face, eyes narrowed and searching the area. I breathed a sigh of relief; he was just planning his next move. I turned back to the huge pile of pink, and gasped as the wool began to smoke, the fibrous strands shooting apart, sparking everywhere. Suddenly, a man-shaped blaze of lava burst from the flames, barreling right at me. "Open, Gate of the Twins, Gemini!" I shouted, and as the two small beings appeared, I backed up, calling out, "Gemini, change to Juvia!"

A brilliant light flashed, and there stood the water mage, her hand already out and pointed at the furious lava man. "Water Lock!" the copied Juvia yelled, encompassing the lava covered man with a sphere of chilly water, though being sure to sustain his air. We weren't supposed to kill them after all. The water closed over the heated mage with a hiss, dousing his fevered body with the cool liquid. He twitched in the water, glaring at the now smiling water woman, before he smirked, igniting his lava again, spiking the temperature inside the bubble. The smiled fell from the quasi-Juvia's face as she began sweating, steadily pouring more and more water into the lock, as she tried to keep up with the pace at which he burned it off.

My attention was pulled away as a grunt was heard, and turning, saw two men struggling to their feet amidst the ruined wool. Glancing back at Gemini's copied form, I asked, "You got him?"

"Yes, leave this one to us," Juvia panted, "We will need to continue draining your magic to keep up with him though. How are your levels?"

I took a deep breath, glancing over to find Laxus still battling it out with the blink mage, and answered, "We'll make it work. Laxus has his hands full over there, so we're going to have to take the rest of these out." I took stock of my new opponents, as one shook his head to clear the fuzziness away, before pulling up the man beside him. As one, they marched towards me, determination filling their eyes, and their magic rising up within them. I stood patiently, keys at the ready, and waited to see their magic.

I watched as the taller of the two sank to his knee, and placed a hand on the floor, muttering in a low voice. The ground wavered, as something began crawling out, a bony hand reaching out to pull itself free of its prison. I gasped as four more followed in its wake, fumbling out of the wavy mess that was the floor. Skeletons, all with outreaching arms, stumbled towards me, as the mage stayed in his position, steadily mouthing the words to bring more of his creations out of the abyss.

Holding forth my key, I called out another spirit, one I knew could handle the flow of skeletons and the summoning mage, "Open, Gate of the Scorpion, Scorpio!" The being materialized beside me, his body low to the floor, and tail poised and awaiting my command. "Sand Buster!" I directed, aiming an arm towards his challenge, before turning to find that the other mage had already activated his magic and was almost upon me.

"Kyahhhh!" I screeched, waving my hands out in front of me at the most disgusting thing I'd ever seen. "Ewww! Get away from me!" I yelled even louder, my voice edging toward hysteria. The man was obviously a transformation mage, but it had to be the worst form I could even imagine, a gross combination of man and rat, complete with twitching whiskers and creepy rat hands, that were even now reaching for me. "Lucy Kick!" I squealed, sending the fiercest kick to his face I could manage, my dress flying up in the process, and sighed with satisfaction as his revolting body bounced off the fluffy dome and landed face first on the ground.

However, my relief was short-lived as I felt my magic take a nose dive. _Scorpio must have just fired off his magic_, I thought, as I whirled around to find that indeed he had taken care of the skeletons and the summoner. He must have felt my distress, because he simply nodded in my direction and faded back into the Spirit World, slowing the drain on my magic a bit.

I stumbled over to my twin spirits, as Gemini struggled with the lava man, their rendition of Juvia looking pale and drained. Her hand was outstretched, shaking a bit as she kept up the steady flow of water into the round ball. Likewise, the mage inside looked equally as tired. The bright red lava was quickly losing steam, the color dulling progressively faster, as his magic finally failed. The lava look bled away into a body of stone, before that faded as well, leaving a frail spindly man in the center of the bubble. The twins released the Water Lock and their borrowed form simultaneously, dropping the defeated mage heavily to the floor in their exhaustion.

I mumbled a thanks for their hard work, making sure they knew how great a job they had done before they slipped out of sight. I glanced over to my partner, finding him looking tired and pissed, his clothes stained red with blood. I would need to hurry and get these mages tied up quickly, so I could help him. I wasn't sure what I could do at this point, but I would just have to figure something out.

Placing a hand over another key, I called out Virgo again, wincing as I felt the tug on my already low magic, and asked her to handle the downed mages. She made quick work of it, propping them all up against a wool wall together, before disappearing. I trudged my way towards Laxus and the mage with the disappearing act. I got only a few feet closer when I felt a whoosh of air behind me, and heard Laxus shout out in fear, "Lucy!"

I turned my head to look behind me, and found a knife flying straight towards me, faster than I could react to. The thought passed through my mind that this was it. As I threw my arm up in a last-ditch effort to save myself, the ground opened up beneath me and I fell. I squealed in surprise as I hit Virgo, who tried valiantly to catch me, and we both hit the ground hard. I groaned as lights flashed behind my eyes, and everything went dark.

**LAXUS'S POV**

I growled in frustration as the quick little bastard disappeared again, popping in and out of existence to throw more of his deadly knives at me. I was bleeding from various cuts all over my body and barely had any time to check up on Lucy. Thankfully, each time I'd managed a quick peek at her, she'd been doing fine, though I could see she was tiring quickly with the number of spirits she'd had to call. I fired off another shock of lightning, just a fraction of a moment too late and spun around as I heard the tell tale pop of his appearance.

My heart stopped as I watched him line up his aim at Lucy's back, and her name ripped from my throat as I ran towards her, knowing I'd never reach her in time. The knife released just before Lucy turned to see the mage behind her, and then she just dropped. I screamed in horror, thinking that the knife had done the man's bidding, but Lucy didn't stop at the floor. She kept going, dropping into a hole that came out of nowhere, leaving the knife sailing past innocently.

I swallowed hard as I came up to the hole and looked down inside, seeing Lucy sprawled across Virgo's lap, the maid gently cradling her head. A gush of relief flowed my being, beyond thankful that she was okay, but it was quickly washed away on a wave of fury, my vision turning red as I looked for the man who had sought to harm the Celestial mage. The rage fueled my power, leaking lightning across the expanse of the entire area, filling it up with my magic as I waited for the leader's eventual arrival.

The man burst out again, his face a mask of pain, as the lightning that filled the room struck him over and over again. It zapped his power, draining his well of magic, even as it arced through his body, sending bolts of agony through his every limb. I called my magic back to me as his eyes slid shut, and dropped his weakened body to the floor with a thud. I grunted in anger, wishing I could wake him up and fry his ass again, but let my magic surround me, changing my body into lightning, and shooting down into the hole.

The maid looked up at me, saying simply, "She hit her head when she fell," before handing Lucy's still form over and shimmering out of sight. Pulling Lucy into my lightning form, I brought us out of the hole, finding the last mage tied up and hunched over the pile of the others. _Really handy spirit_, I thought as I shot a concentrated burst of magic out at the wool dome, blasting through the hardened wall.

I slipped through the opening, finding a crowd of people staring at us, their shocked faces slipping into smiles as they clapped, applauding our victory. My jaw tightened at their praise, and I could feel my anger rising. Could they not see that Lucy was hurt? I pushed through the sea of people, ignoring their gasps as I elbowed them out of the way, and bumped into the manager.

"Where's the infirmary? She needs some help," I rumbled, trying to contain my annoyance.

"Is it taken care of? Did you get them all?" the man asked, his mind clearly not on the woman in my arms, and my patience dissolved, evaporating in an instant, as I shouted, "I said, where is the fucking infirmary?! Do you not see that my partner is hurt?!"

The manager took a step back, nervously adjusting the lapels of his suit jacket, and answered quickly, "Sorry, I'll send someone from the infirmary to your room immediately."

I glowered at him, showing him with my eyes what would happen if he failed to do as he'd promised, and brushed past him without another word. I carried the blonde carefully up to our room, her still form tugging at my heart as I looked her over again. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, as I entered our suite, slowly making my way to the back room. I laid her across our bed, her body not moving at all, and I sat beside her, holding her hand for a moment, before standing up to wait by the door.

Though I knew it had only been a few minutes since we'd arrived in our room, it felt much longer, especially with Lucy so still and quiet. I wanted someone to check her over now, and I was beginning to lose my cool. _They damn well better hurry the fuck up!_

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_**A/N: Yay! The fight is finished, and soon they will be heading home!**_


	19. High Above Me

_And we're back again! I'm doing really well with my new schedule of updating. Yay! So here we got with some LaLu fluff and some funny little moments. Hope you enjoy! Thanks to **Deathsembrace137** for beta-reading for me (I'm your biggest fan!) and to all of you wonderful readers (you make me oh so happy!)_

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_**Hiro Mashima** owns all my favorite things about Fairy Tail, which is pretty much everything. I'm so jealous. _

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**CHAPTER 19: HIGH ABOVE ME**

**LAXUS'S POV**

I paced, waiting for the healer, every now and then checking the clock, and wondered just how long it would be until the manager sent someone to check Lucy out, before a knock sounded at the door. I jerked the door open, finding an older man standing there, his eyes kind, carrying an odd looking bag, and as he walked in, I couldn't help but mutter quietly, "About damn time."

"I do apologize for that, my boy. I was only told to come here a short time ago, and it took a few minutes to gather the things I would need for your partner. I'm Dr. Graham," the man said, offering me his hand with a smile.

"Laxus Dreyar," I muttered, accepting his handshake, before turning to lead him to the bedroom, "Lucy's back here."

The doctor followed me silently into the room and gingerly sat on the side of the bed next to the still blonde, reaching out to press a hand to either side of her head. He closed his eyes as he spoke, "Tell me what happened to her."

"We were fighting the group of men that have been robbing the casino. The last one threw a knife at her, and one of her spirits dug a hole beneath her so that she'd drop out of the path of the blade. When she fell, she hit her head and she's been unconscious ever since," I explained, knowing my voice sounded worried.

Dr. Graham nodded, opening his eyes and removing his hands from her temples, and said, "Ah, yes I see. She's going to be just fine, though she does have a concussion. Nothing too serious, but I want her to do nothing but rest tonight and tomorrow as well. Have you completed your job here?"

"Yes, but we'll have to head home tomorrow. Is she okay to travel?" I asked, feeling immense relief flood my body. It was odd to feel such concern for someone over something so small. Every member of my team had hit their heads and gotten knocked out before, and it had never worried me like this had. The woman was changing more things about me than I could keep up with, but I had to admit that I didn't care, not if it meant having her.

"That should be fine. Just makes sure she doesn't overdo it. Her head's going to ache quite a bit, so I'm going to give her some pain medicine for tonight and tomorrow. It should be pretty manageable after that. Now, for your homework...you're going to need to wake her every hour. We want to make sure that the injury isn't causing any further problems. If she struggles to wake up, contact me at once," the elderly man said, handing me a card with his information on it, as he stood to his feet.

I nodded, leading him back to the door, and offered my hand again, saying, "Thanks Doc."

"Of course, son. Happy to help. You take good care of your lady in there, you hear?" he answered, chuckling a bit to himself as he left the suite, heading downstairs.

I shut the door, heading back towards the bedroom, when I heard a low moan. I quickened my step, hurrying in to find Lucy struggling to sit up, her face scrunched up in pain, as she held a hand against the back of her head. "Woah baby. Don't move too fast," I said, setting myself down beside her.

"Damn, my head hurts," She moaned, wincing as her hand brushed over the tender spot.

I put my hand on her shoulder, easing her back onto the bed, telling her, "I know. Doc says you've got a concussion, so you have to take it easy." I reached over onto the table beside us, and grabbed the bottle he'd left, and reading the instructions he'd written, took two pills out and handed them to her along with a glass of water. "Here, take these," I instructed.

She took the pills without a fuss, and sank back down onto the pillow. "I'm going to go order us some food," I told her, "What do you feel like having?"

"I don't want anything," she murmured, closing her eyes again.

Though I didn't want to argue with her, I knew she needed to eat. "Lucy, you have to eat something. You just took pain killers, and they'll make you sick if you don't have any food in your stomach," I explained, brushing the hair from her face, "It doesn't have to be a lot, but you need something, okay?"

Her eyes opened, as she answered softly, "Okay, but I don't think I'll be able to eat much."

Pressing a light kiss to her forehead, I stood up, saying, "Good. I'll be right back."

I went into the kitchenette, and looked over the menu again, and picked out something simple, soup and sandwiches. I called down with our order, and within 10 minutes, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a voice calling out, "Room service."

Opening the door, I took the food, taking a moment to offer a tip, before closing the door, and heading back towards Lucy. I walked into the room and found her asleep once again, so I leaned down, running a hand down her arm, and whispered her name. Her eyes cracked open and a small smile lit her face as I asked, "You ready to eat?"

"Okay," she said, trying to raise up into a sitting position.

"Slowly," I admonished, reaching behind her to adjust the pillows to better support her tired body, before asking, "I got us some potato soup and club sandwiches. What do you want to try?"

She pressed a hand back to her head, as she said, "Umm...the soup, I guess."

I set a tray on her lap, putting a bowl of soup and a cup of tea in the center. We ate in silence, and I was pleased to notice that she'd eaten nearly the entire bowl. I took the tray from her after she'd finished, setting both mine and hers in the kitchen, and went back to join her. I wasn't all that tired, but I wanted to stay close to Lucy.

Pulling my shirt over my head, I climbed into the spot beside her on the bed, and almost instantly, she turned over, scooting next to me, laying her head against my chest with a sigh. I wrapped an arm around her back as she snuggled closer, looking up at me with a lazy grin, and said, "I like you."

The statement was so out of nowhere, I couldn't help but laugh. She looked up at me with a rather cute pout, and asked, "What's so funny? You don't like me?"

"I like you just fine, baby," I answered with a chuckle. Yep, I thought, the meds were working just fine.

Her face slipped into a dreamy smile, as she told me, "I love it when you call me baby. Makes me wanna kiss your yummy lips."

"I have yummy lips?" I asked, thoroughly entertained by this silly side of Lucy.

"Oh yeah," she nodded, as she continued with a serious expression, "So much yummier than Hibiki's."

My mouth dropped open in shock, then closed as a wave of jealousy washed over me. "And how do you know anything about Hibiki's lips?" I snapped.

"I used to date him," she answered brightly as she wiggled up onto her knees beside me, before she tipped her head to the side and changed the subject again, saying, "You have beautiful eyes."

I couldn't help but smile at her. Though I wanted to know more about this Hibiki situation, she was rather cute switching gears like that. So, I just went with it. Besides, I could always ask her about the other man later, when she wasn't as high as a kite on pain meds. Feeling a hand on my chest, I looked down to find her tracing the lines of my tattoo, her mind seeming totally occupied with her task.

"I love your tattoo," she said happily, "It makes me wanna lick it." She paused for a moment, as she thought something over, and with a confused expression, asked, "You've been shirtless a lot lately. Are you trying to get me to lick it?"

I burst out laughing even while I felt a rush of heat at her words. I almost felt guilty listening to what appeared to be her secret thoughts about me, but who could blame me? "No, I wasn't trying to do that, but I wouldn't mind your tongue on me anytime you want."

Her face lit up with a smile, and she began to lean down my chest. "Anytime, but when you're on pain killers," I clarified, earning me a pout.

"You're no fun," she mumbled, her bottom lip poking out, before reluctantly agreeing, "Fine, I won't do it now, but you owe me a turn."

I pulled her back down against me, telling her, "Come on, you need to rest."

She curled back up in my arms, just as she had before, and rubbed her face against my skin, saying, "I'm glad you like me, Laxus."

I grinned at her drooping eyes and rubbed my hand across her back, easing her back into sleep. Her body relaxed into me, and she slipped an arm over my chest, her hand sneaking under her chin, as she mumbled, "I can't wait to have sex with you," and promptly fell asleep.

I laid there with a stunned expression on my face, and then barked another laugh. She was something else, always surprising me. I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever know what was going to come out of her mouth. She was so damn interesting, more so than any of the women I'd met. It was no wonder that I was drawn to her. She was funny, smart, beautiful, talented, strong as hell, everything a man could want in a woman.

I looked down at her nestled in my arms, and lifted a hand to her face. I didn't know what was happening to me, why I couldn't keep away from her. There was just something about this woman, something that made me want her more than I'd ever wanted anything else in my life. She made me feel things I hadn't felt in a long time, made me want to be the man she believed me to be.

My mind drifted back to the fight earlier, to the moment I'd seen that knife flying at her. Never before had I ever felt that kind of panic, that level of despair. I was sure I was about to lose her, and I'd seen on her face that she'd accepted that reality too. It was like that knife had stabbed straight through my heart. In that instant, I knew, without a doubt, if she died, I'd never be the same again.

Fear rose up again at the thought of losing her, and I pulled her in closer to me, the depth of the painful feeling astounding me. I didn't know how she'd come to matter to me so much. How could it have happened so quickly? How did a woman, I'd barely spoken to before this trip, suddenly become as important to me as my Raijinshuu, maybe even more so? It didn't make sense to me, but I knew it was the truth.

All I knew is I wanted her, for as long as she would have me. I'd go as fast or as slow as she wanted, though based on her earlier ramblings, I was betting that her feelings on the subject matched my own. I couldn't believe a woman like her wanted to be with me. She was so good, so honest, and decent. I wondered how everyone at the guild would feel about the two of us dating.

I could already imagine her team's reaction: swords, threats, fire, and ice. I wanted to be optimistic, but the facts were, I had hurt a lot of people when I tried to take over the guild. Yes, I had tried to make things right, but some things were harder to forgive and forget. Though it seemed they'd found a way to do that very thing, they were extremely protective of Lucy, and our being together could change how they felt about the entire situation.

I pushed the thoughts away, clearing my mind of all the distractions so I could get some sleep. I was going to need every bit I could get, waking up every hour with Lucy. I settled beneath her comforting weight and closed my eyes, an odd feeling of home lulling me to sleep almost instantly.

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**_A/N: So, who's anxious for them to get back home? lol I'm about to die to get them there! Well, that and other things..._**


	20. I Just Can't Walk Away

_Sorry I'm posting this so late tonight - I may have forgotten that it was time to update! lol Anyway, thank you **Deathsembrace137** for being one of my most favorite people in the world, and for checking this chapter for awesomeness! Love you! Thanks to all of you readers as well! You're the best ever!_

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_And as usual,** Hiro Mashima** owns Fairy Tail. I just own this romance! :)_

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**CHAPTER 20: I JUST CAN'T WALK AWAY**

**LUCY'S POV**

My eyes fluttered open, slamming shut a second later at the amount of light coming in through the sliding glass door. I groaned as I peeked out again, and yawned, deciding to sleep a bit more. I pulled the covers up to my chin and snuggled back into my cocoon of warmth. I had just started dozing again, when I felt movement just behind me, and a large arm slipped around my midsection, pulling me into a hard body.

I smiled as Laxus inhaled deeply and then placed a light kiss on my neck. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his tone concerned.

"Sleepy," I answered softly, closing my eyes once again.

"I meant, how's your head?" he asked, chuckling at my response.

I yawned again, curling my legs up, and sighed, "Sore. Now, let me sleep."

"Okay, but only for a little longer. We need to get home, so Wendy can fix you all up," he agreed, as he began climbing from the bed.

"Aw, where are you going," I pouted as I turned over to face him, "I wanted you to snuggle with me."

Laxus leaned over with a smile, and gave me a light kiss, saying, "I'd like nothing better than to spend the day in bed with you, but I need to go collect our reward and find out what time the train leaves today. I'll be back in a little while. Just rest until then."

"Oh alright," I grumbled, already missing his body next to mine, as he walked into the bathroom for a shower.

I drifted off to the sound of the water running and woke again sometime later to the sound of Laxus's voice calling me. I huffed a bit, and pulled the covers over my head, hoping he'd get the message. Unfortunately, my plan didn't work, and the covers came flying off, revealing a very handsome, smiling man at the foot of the bed.

"Laxus! I was trying to sleep," I informed him, my voice laden with frustration, as I sat up with a groan.

"I let you sleep for another hour already," he said, his brow lifted in amusement, "You can't stay in bed all day."

I pointed a finger at him, and said, "But you kept waking me up. It's no wonder I'm so tired."

"I had to wake you up every hour. Doctor's orders," the lightning mage reasoned, "Now, get up, Cranky. Our train leaves in about an hour. You can sleep all the way back home if you want."

I pulled myself up from the bed, dragging my way to the bathroom, stopping only to grab my bag, as I scowled, "Fine. And I'm not cranky."

The only response I got was a burst of laughter and a quick, "Of course not, baby."

_Stupid man,_ I thought, _taking my covers_. Anyone would be peeved by that, and my head still hurt too. As if he could read my mind, he asked through the door, "Do you need some more medicine for your head?"

_Why did he have to be so sweet when I was trying to be mad at him?_ "I'll probably need some by the time I get out. My head's starting to throb," I answered quietly, feeling my anger trickle out of me at his concern. It was truly a sad day when I couldn't stay mad at a man. I'd have to work on that.

I filled the tub with warm water and slid in, not wanting to chance standing up in the shower, as I had started feeling a bit light headed. I made short work of my bath and climbed out soon after, drying my hair gingerly, so I didn't aggravate my head further. I opened the door to find Laxus standing there with my medicine and a tall glass of water. I gave him a tired smile, and took the proffered pills.

He was being so sweet to me, even when I'd been moody as hell, and I couldn't help but wonder who this incredible man was. From all the stories I'd heard of him, other than from the Raijinshuu, he wasn't one to put up with stuff like that, not from anyone. The thought, that he'd take my crappy mood in stride and still be amazing, brought a larger smile to my face. It made me happy to think he cared so much about me.

I stepped into him, resting my head against his chest as I wrapped my arms around him. His arms instantly came around me, holding me close, and I told him, "Thank you for taking care of me, Laxus."

He held me against him and said, "No problem, baby."

"I'm sorry I've been kind of grumpy," I apologized, looking up at his face with a rueful grin.

"Kind of?" he asked, and chuckled as I pouted at him.

I stuck my tongue out, feeling wonderfully childish again, and said, "So mean to the injured girl."

"I see you're planning on working that for a while," he acknowledged with a snort, as he tucked a wayward strand of hair behind my ear.

Nodding slowly, I agreed, pointing out, "Of course, I am. This is not the face of stupid girl."

"Very true," he said as he stroked his thumb across my cheek, "This is the face of a smart, beautiful, funny...tease."

I'd begun getting all tangled up over his coompliments, feeling everything inside me turn to mush, and then, of course, he'd messed it up. _Stupid man._ "I don't think I like you anymore," I muttered, pulling my arms away from him to cross them under my breasts.

He chuckled at my reaction and asked, "Will it help if I say you're sexy as hell when you pout?"

"Nope," I answered haughtily, as I made my way over to my bag, shoving everything back in to go home, "That just makes you a perv."

"Hmm, I think I can live with that, especially when you keep bending over that way," he mused, winking, as I turned to find him watching my backside, "Such a tease."

I rolled my eyes and stood back up, pressing a hand to my head as the light-headed feeling swept over me again, and then he was there, sitting me down on the bed, his expression worried as he commanded, "Look, just lay back. I'll pack up all our things."

"I'm okay, Laxus. Just a little dizzy," I told him, brushing the incident off as I tried to stand again.

"No," he ordered sternly, "You stay there until we leave, and then I'll carry you to the train station."

I shook my head at his suggestion, "Um...no. That is not happening. I am perfectly capable of walking there myself."

"Lucy, I don't want you getting hurt because you're being stubborn," he stated, refusing to back down.

"I'm not being stubborn," I huffed, "I can handle walking that far on my own. I'm not helpless."

"And they say I'm too proud," he groaned loudly, running his hands through his hair in frustration, "Why won't you let me help you?"

Hearing his comment about pride, I sighed. He had a point. I did have a tendency to buck against needing help. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate the offer. I just didn't want anyone thinking I couldn't deal with something on my own. I didn't want to feel like I needed anyone. That was what finally decided it for me. I sighed laboriously, putting aside my pride as I grumbled, "Fine, but I'll carry my own bag, and I'm riding your back. I'm not going through town being carried like some princess."

Laxus considered my demands and countered with his own, "Okay, but if you're riding my back, then you're changing into pants. I'm not about to help you show your ass to the entire population of men in this town."

"I can agree with that, but I thought you liked my short skirts," I teased, smiling at him still kneeling in front of me on the floor.

"I do like them. What I don't like is sharing the view with anyone else," he responded, frowning a bit at the thought.

I laughed, winking at him as he stood to his feet, "Definitely still a perv, but don't worry, the view's just for you."

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**LAXUS'S POV**

We made it out of the casino fairly quickly, and true to her word, Lucy rode on my back, her only complaint being that I was wearing too much clothing. High Lucy was back, and even more talkative than before. It blew my mind that the medicine that would normally just knock people out made her so uninhibited. It did eventually make her sleepy, but damn, the things she'd say and do before then.

We were almost to the train station when I felt her slip a hand past the collar of my shirt, pushing her arm in up to her elbow, as she ran her fingers lightly over my skin. "I love touching you, Laxy-poo," she sang, her tone clearly happy with her situation.

I shook my head with a smile. This was definitely going to be an interesting trip, with her as high as a kite and completely unreserved. There was honestly no telling what the hell she'd do next, as evidenced by the fact that she had started licking up the side of my neck. I shut my eyes with a hiss, as her teeth closed over the lobe of my ear, tugging gently on my flesh. "You taste delicious," she moaned softly.

"Lucy, you are gonna have to stop," I told her pulling my neck away from her mouth. If she kept that up, there was a low probability of me getting her to the station, and a very high one of me taking her sexy ass in the first side street I could find.

She frowned a bit, asking, "Why do I have to stop? You don't like it when I do that?"

"I like it too damn much. Now, just behave yourself," I told her, my voice sounding a bit harsh to my own ears, but it couldn't be helped. I needed to, at the very least, get onto the train before she got me too aroused to think straight.

"So, you do like it!" she pronounced loudly, before leaning back in to try again.

I let go of her leg long enough to smack her on the ass, and yelled, "I said, behave yourself."

She was quiet for a moment, obviously thinking something over, and then mused, "I didn't know you liked to spank, Laxus. I like it better when you grab my ass."

"Oh, for the love of Mavis," I pleaded, as the train station came into sight, "Will you please stop talking about that stuff while we're in public?"

Thankfully she remained quiet for the last two minutes of our travel, and I managed to disconnect myself from her long enough to buy our tickets, opting to pay the extra to have a private room, considering how touchy Lucy was being. I certainly didn't want to be stuck explaining to a perfect stranger why she was acting that way. I could already imagine some well-meaning Samaritan accusing me of slipping her something so I could take advantage of her.

I made my way back to Lucy, leading her slowly onto the train and straight into our compartment. I shut the door, and slumped into a seat, leaning my head back with a sigh. My relief was short lived though, as Lucy sang my name and climbed on top of me, settling her legs on either side of mine. I sucked in a breath, trying to keep my hands to myself. After all, she wasn't exactly herself right now. _Wouldn't it be wrong of me to do anything with her in this state?_

"Can I kiss you now?" she asked cutely, her smile sweet, if a bit sleepy.

Good, that meant it wouldn't be long before she fell asleep. "I don't think that's such a good idea right now," I said. _I just had to hold on a little while longer_, I told myself, but of course Lucy was determined not to cooperate. She wet her lips, her eyes focused on mine, and murmured, "But I want to kiss you."

Surely one kiss wouldn't hurt._ It wasn't like we hadn't kissed before, so it wouldn't be wrong to give her just that one thing, right?_ I reached out for her, my hand clasping the back of her neck, and pulled her down to my mouth, kissing first her top lip, then her plump bottom lip. She opened for me with a contented sigh, her hands tangling in my hair as she arched closer to me. The passion built between us, like it always did, hot and fast, pushing our kiss into dangerous territory, as she ground her body against mine.

Pulling back a bit, she opened her dazed eyes and asked, her voice tinged with wonder, "Why do you always make me so horny?"

_Holy shit..._I yanked her back in for another kiss, loving the gasp that slipped up her throat as I slid my hands down her body, running them up and down her jean covered legs. I growled in frustration, kicking myself for my earlier insistence that she wear pants, because I was seriously missing that short skirt now. That skirt, and those beautiful bare legs that could have been wrapped around me right now.

She left my mouth, trailing her lips down my jaw, and I angled my head to encourage her attentions, opening my eyes to find several people gaping at us through the window of our room door. "What the fuck!" I shouted, causing them all to go wide-eyed and quickly shuffle away. Aggravated at myself for not remembering the shade, I pushed Lucy away, pointing at the door, and said, "Baby, I've gotta go pull down the shade. We've got a damn audience again."

"I'll do it," she offered, crawling from my lap to cover the window, her steps becoming wobbly as she turned around. She pulled the shade down, pausing for a moment as she stared at me, before asking, "Did you know that you're really sexy?"

"You're the one that's sexy," I countered, smiling as I waved her over, "Come here."

She tottered over, as I stood to my feet. Pulling her in, I gave her a light kiss and instructed, "Come on. You need to sleep."

"But I wanna kiss you some more," she pouted.

"Plenty of time for that later, baby," I murmured, as I stepped back, adjusting the seat until it folded down into a bed, and directing Lucy to lie down. I gathered a couple pillows and a blanket from a cabinet across the room, and climbed onto the bed next to her. She curled into me, and I pulled the blanket over us and closed my eyes, thinking Lucy would be doing the same. We were both tired, from the fight, the ups and downs all night, not to mention the nearly constant sexual tension between us. It was enough to exhaust anyone.

I was almost asleep when she spoke again, her voice slurring as she began drifting, "You're really big."

"What?" I asked, cracking one eye to peek at her.

"I'm probably not going to be able to walk afterwards, am I?" she giggled, the sound trailing off as the medicine finally caught up with her.

_Well damn. How the fuck was I supposed to sleep now?_

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**_A/N: Did you guys catch the title of this chapter? hahaha! I couldn't resist. lol _**


	21. Almost Home

_Alright then! Who's ready for Laxus and Lucy to get back to Magnolia? :) Okay, I won't keep you, so quickly, thanks for reading and thanks to **Deathsembrace137** for checking over all my work. You're awesome and I loves ya!_

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_**Hiro Mashima** owns Fairy Tail_

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**CHAPTER 21: ALMOST HOME**

**LUCY'S POV**

I woke to the sound of a train moving down the tracks, and sat up disoriented, looking around in surprise. My ears hadn't deceived me. I really was on a train, but how the hell had I gotten there? I remembered making the deal with Laxus about him carrying me to the train station, but everything after that was pretty foggy. It was more than a little disconcerting to realize I'd lost time like that.

I was pulled from my musing as a deep voice spoke from beside me, "Hey. You just wake up?"

Glancing down, I found a sleepy looking Laxus, staring up at me as he shoved a hand through his hair. Unfortunately, his action made his hair even worse, and I couldn't help but smile. He was beyond cute like this, all mussed from sleeping, his hair sticking up everywhere, and his eyes blinking slowly as he tried to wake up. I smothered the smile, locking that bit of opinion deep inside my mind's vault, as I answered, "Yeah, but I don't remember getting on the train."

"You were pretty...uh...messed up at the time," he responded with a chuckle, as he looked up at me, "I'm not surprised you don't remember it all."

"Ugh, it's so frustrating that it's all a blank," I complained, then paused as a thought struck me, "Oh God, I hope I didn't do anything stupid."

My eyes narrowed as Laxus began cracking up, his mouth stretched out in a large grin, and I just knew. I had done something embarrassing. Why else would he be reacting like that? "Oh shit, what did I do? Stop laughing," I whined, giving him a shove that didn't move him an inch. _What a lovely display of strength, _I thought sarcastically.

"I wouldn't call it stupid, but it sure was entertaining," he teased, smirking as my face paled.

"Laxus! Quit joking around," I pleaded, my mind providing all sorts of scenarios from me dancing on a table, to doing yoga moves naked, "Just tell me what I did, please!"

He took a second more to make me sweat, before nodding his head, his face turning serious as he said, "Okay, but first...let's talk about Hibiki."

I sat there stunned, my head cocked to the side, as I asked, "What? Why are you asking about him?" _Why the hell would I have said anything about him?_

"I'm asking because you mentioned him. Let's see if I can recall just what you said...I believe it was that my lips were so much yummier than Hibiki's," he explained, his face curiously blank.

My mouth opened and shut as I stuttered out, "W-what?" I couldn't believe I'd said that to him. I mean, of course I'd thought about his lips being tasty, but comparing them to Hibiki's..._W__hat the hell do I say to that?_ I watched him looking so serious, and I wondered what he was thinking. I couldn't tell in that moment, and that worried me to no end.

"You said I had yummy lips," he offered, his lips suddenly twitching in amusement, "Much yummier than Hibiki's. How exactly do you know about that man's lips?"

"Um...well, I dated him for a while, and um...yeah, but that was months and months ago," I stammered, feeling completely out of my element, "He h-has nice lips, but um...yours are like...oh shit." I groaned at myself, dropping my head into my hands.

Laxus leaned over, grabbing my hands and pulling them away. He smirked at my reddened cheeks, and asked, "My lips are like what?"

"Shut up," I answered, shaking myself out of his grip, "Is that the only thing I said?"

"Oh no," he laughed, "Not even close."

My eyes widened, as I whispered, "There's more? A lot?"

He nodded his head slowly, saying, "Oh yeah, like I have beautiful eyes, and you love my tattoo..."

"Oh, that's not too bad. I would have told you that anyway," I mused, breathing out a sigh of relief, before he barked out another laugh.

"I wasn't done," he said, his eyes brimming with mirth as he watched me squirm beside him, "You wanted to lick my tattoo, and when I told you 'no' because you were on pain meds, you made me promise I'd let you do it some other time."

I felt my face pale as I shuddered, "You're kidding..."

"No, I'm not. Did you want your turn now?" he quipped, reaching for his shirt as though to take it off to oblige me.

"What?" I screeched, slapping at his hands, "Stop that! Don't take your shirt off now!"

He flopped back on the make-shift bed, and burst out laughing, barely managing to sputter out, "Why not? You were saying this morning that I was wearing too many clothes."

"I did not!" I gasped, blushing profusely, as he kept nailing me with all these outrageous things I'd supposedly said. It wouldn't have been so bad if I could remember everything I'd said, but hearing all my secret thoughts from the man they were about was embarrassing.

His laughter calmed, his face turning serious, his eyes brimming with heat as he pushed me back onto the bed, his body pressing tightly against me, as he said, "You said you couldn't wait to have sex with me. Is that true?"

I gulped at the desire I could see plainly on his face. I wanted so badly to deny his words, my own words in fact, but I refused to lie to him. I wanted him, that much was more than obvious to anyone with eyes, but did he have to know just how desperate I was for him? I sighed as I stared into his eyes, feeling an answering fire burning in my belly. "Yes," I whispered, before grabbing his face and pulling it close to mine.

He reacted immediately, our lips meeting in a fervent kiss, as his hands swept under my body to hold me close. I spread my legs for him, moaning as his body settled against me, and dove my hands into his messy hair. I let go of his mouth with a gasp as he flexed his hips, his erection bumping my aching center. His mouth trailed down my neck, nipping lightly at my skin, before soothing it with his tongue.

My hands smoothed down his body, slipping under his shirt to wander up the muscled expanse of his back. _Damn, I loved putting my hands on this man, having his hands all over me._ As though he had heard my thoughts, he spoke, his speech broken only by the sound of his kisses moving up my neck, "You said...you loved...touching me."

"True, " I answered breathlessly, as my hands pushed his shirt up towards his shoulders.

Laxus eased off of me, as he pulled his shirt over his head, and I followed him up, ripping my own shirt off as I rose to my knees as well. I pressed my lips to his, my hands ghosting over his chest, memorizing every single inch. He pulled me into him roughly, his mouth devouring mine, as his hands eased down to grasp my backside, keeping me from moving away. _As if I'd ever want to be anywhere else,_ I thought, as I trailed open-mouthed kisses down his neck.

"You like it when I grab your ass," he growled as I nibbled at his collarbone, to which I answered with a simple, "Yes," before continuing on across his chest.

I kissed my way over to his tattoo, and took a moment to trace over it with my finger before I finally leaned down, licking over the tantalizing ink. I'd wanted my mouth on it for so long, and I almost couldn't believe it was really happening.

"You said I taste delicious," he added, his voice coming out raspy as I circled around his nipple with my tongue.

Humming with delight, I covered the small nub with my lips, sucking lightly. "Mhmm..."

My teeth grazed over the hardened peak, and I squeaked as Laxus yanked my head up to his and all but ordered, "Say yes, Lucy."

"What?" I questioned, trying to clear my head enough to follow the conversation.

"Say you want this. Say you want me," he urged, his eyes serious as he continued, "Cause we need to stop this right now if you aren't sure."

My first thought was _Yes, please do me now!_ and I opened my mouth to tell him that I was completely sure, when a voice came over the speakers throughout the train, and announced that we'd be arriving in Magnolia in 5 minutes. I breathed hard, my hands still spanned over Laxus' bare chest, and couldn't help the words that ripped their way out of my mouth, "Shit, why does this keep happening?!"

Laxus flopped back onto the fold-out bed, running his hands through his hair, and muttered, "Goddamn, someone out there really fucking hates me."

I moved to close the space between us, to make sure he knew what my answer to his question would have been, but he held up a hand, pointing his finger at me, and said roughly, "You stay over there, and put your shirt back on. Otherwise, I'll never be able to walk off of this train."

Moving back, I sighed, picking up my shirt to put it back on, when he burst out laughing. "What the hell are you laughing at?" I asked, arching a brow at his heaving form as I redressed myself.

He groaned pitifully as his laughter died off, "You thought you were the one who wouldn't be able to walk." He glanced up at me with a defeated look, before saying, "I'm beginning to believe I'm doomed to live out my days with a perpetual hard on."

I couldn't help but giggle at him, though I honestly felt bad that he was once again left like this. I wasn't at all pleased with the situation either, but he was the one who would have to walk around with proof of his discomfort. "You aren't doomed, Laxus," I offered, and finding him none too convinced by my statement, teased, "Would it help if I promise to fix that for you really soon?"

"Lucy, stop helping," he growled, closing his eyes as he continued to lay there, "It's never going to go away if you get me thinking about sex again."

"Okay, sorry," I apologized, biting my lip in consternation, when suddenly a thought occurred to me, "Hey, just think about something gross. Maybe that'll make it go down."

He rolled his eyes at me, muttering, "That would never work with me being this hard."

"You don't know that for sure. It might. Umm...oh I know," I exclaimed, snapping my fingers as the solution came to me, "Just think about your Gramps in his swimsuit."

"Oh damn, did you have to say that?" Laxus complained loudly, clutching at his wayward hair, before freezing and looking down at his pants, then up at me in surprise, "Holy shit, it worked." I smiled brightly until he slowly stood to his feet, saying, "I would say you're a genius, but I kind of hate you now. I'm never going to get that image out of my head."

I stuck my tongue out at him, and reached for my bag just as the announcement came that we were pulling into the station. I bit my lip to contain a laugh, then flipped my shirt up at him, showing off the skimpy bright yellow bra beneath, and asked, "Does this help?"

"You little fucking tease," he rumbled, reaching out for me, as I hopped back with a squeal. "Get your ass back here," he bellowed threateningly, even as a large smile lit up his face.

I yanked open the door with a shriek of laughter, and raced down the hallway, whipping in and out of people with a quick "Sorry!" I made it off the train easily, and ran all out, pushing myself to go faster. I looked back towards the train, and saw Laxus barreling straight for me, a huge grin on his face, as his long legs quickly ate up the distance between us. A squeak popped out of my mouth as I poured everything I had into reaching the guild.

Our feet pounded down the streets of Magnolia, accompanied by the sounds of us shouting at each other.

"You know I'm gonna catch you!" Laxus yelled from behind me, "And when I do, I'm gonna spank that ass!"

I stumbled at his words, before I burst out laughing, "You're never catching me then! You'd have a better chance if you offered to grab my ass!"

"That's what you said last time," he answered loudly with a bark of laughter.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I screamed as I looked back, finding him much closer than the last time I'd looked, "Oh shit!"

He smirked as he got closer, and called out, "It's too late." He swooped in, grabbing me up in his arms, and huffed, "I've already got you."

I squirmed in his arms, my arms and legs flailing in the air, as he tightened his hold on my legs, keeping me from getting away. I shrieked, laughing even harder when he tickled my side with his other hand, and I finally managed to stammer out, "Hahaha...guit that...alright, I give! I give!"

"That's more like it," he said smugly, before grinning lecherously, "Now, about that bra."

I shrugged, smiling innocently, as I giggled my explanation, "You said you didn't want to think about him naked, so I thought you might rather think about me naked."

"You got that right," he answered, his voice deep as he leaned in to kiss me, taking my lips fiercely.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, relaxing into his strong body as I met him stroke for stroke with my tongue, loving the feel of him all around me like this. A shrill squeal, sounding startling like Mira, brought us back to our surroundings, and as we separated, our heads turned as one to see the guild just before us, the doors held open by a stunned ice mage.

"What the hell just happened?"

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**_A/N: Nothing like being found out during such an interesting conversation! hahaha! Yes! We are finally at the guild! Next time, we find out what everyone thinks of this new couple! :) Let me know what you thought - favorite part, funniest part, etc. _**


	22. You Caught Me

_The long awaited guild reactions...here we come! Love you guys! Thanks for sticking by me! And check out my beta, **Deathsembrace137** - her work is amazing!_

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_Remember...**Hiro Mashima** owns Fairy Tail._

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**CHAPTER 22: YOU CAUGHT ME**

**LAXUS' POV**

"Well shit," I said, the words simply falling from my mouth as I looked through the doorway to the guild. My eyes widened at the sight of nearly every member of Fairy Tail staring at me standing there, holding Lucy in my arms. They'd just caught us kissing, but now the question was, _What did they hear?_

"Wow, never thought they'd find out like this," Lucy whispered, her voice shaking as her giggles made another appearance.

I shot her an exasperated look, and asked quietly, "You do realize that they could have heard everything we just said, right?"

The crazy girl just threw her head back and laughed as though we hadn't just unknowingly announced our relationship, or whatever it was, to everyone we knew. "Oh my God, that would be so damn funny!" she cackled, before shaking her head at my reaction, "Laxus, why are you so worried? It'll be fine; they love us."

"I'm pretty sure they love you," I muttered, "Not so sure about me. You know your team isn't going to like this."

"Oh stop it. They'll huff and puff and threaten you with bodily harm, and then they'll congratulate us," Lucy quipped easily, leaning in to grab my face with her hands, giving me a light, soothing kiss, then said, "Now, let's go inside."

I sighed, dropping her legs so she could walk, and looking again at the aghast expressions of our guild members, asked pointedly, "You sure we can't just leave? I still owe you a spanking."

"No, perv, we cannot. My team would be freaking out," she answered with a roll of her eyes, before poking me in the chest with her finger, "Besides, there's no way in hell I'm letting you spank me."

"I'm sorry, did you just say spank?" Gray asked in confusion, coming closer as he continued to watch the two of us.

Lucy giggled a bit, waving the question away, "Just an inside joke, Gray."

"Okay," he said, smiling at Lucy while still eyeing me curiously, "Glad you got back okay. We were worried until Natsu found the letter in your house."

"Why the hell would he be in your house?" I asked, my jaw clenching as I felt my temper begin to rise. I didn't like the thought of that little Fire Fuck being able to pop into her house anytime he wanted to. _Did that little shit break into her place? Damn, maybe he had a key..._

The blonde just shrugged, answering, "He just always is. That's why I left the letter for the team there. I knew he'd find it faster there than anywhere else."

"How the hell does he get in there? Did you give him a key?" I grumbled, hating the idea of another man having access to her house like that. I realized that it was stupid to be angry that Lucy would allow him that much freedom, especially since Lucy and I hadn't been together before we left, but it didn't seem to matter. It bugged me, a lot more than I cared to admit out loud.

Gray laughed, throwing an arm around Lucy, and said, "Yeah right. Lucy would never give Natsu a key to her place, but it doesn't matter. He always finds a way in."

"I've tried to figure out how he always manages to get in there, but all he'll tell me is the window," Lucy explained, wrapping an arm around the ice mage in return.

It took everything I had to hold in a growl at Gray touching her, but I kept my cool. The man hadn't made any overt advances toward her, so it made it a bit easier to brush off. Maybe he was one I wouldn't have to worry about. Gray turned, his arms still around Lucy, leading her into the guild, animatedly informing her of everything that had happened while we'd been away, but she halted his progression. He gave her a curious look as she paused, reaching out to snag my hand, and pulled me along with her.

She gave me a bright smile, squeezing my hand encouragingly, and I couldn't help the answering smile I gave her. She held my eyes for a moment, before Gray pulled her along again, and I realized that the others in the guild were gawking at me, sending the grin from my face, as I scowled at them. For the first time, it didn't have the desired effect of making them turn their heads away. _Damn, that girl's already screwing with my reputation,_ I thought in frustration.

We entered the room to a host of questions and comments, like Elfman's "Kissing in the street is so manly!" or Juvia's "Finally, Love Rival has a boyfriend!" and the most annoying, "Wheeeen's the wedding?" I sighed deeply. Damn, this guild could be so annoying. I tugged on Lucy's arm, getting ready to pull her away from Gray, my patience with his closeness at an end, when Natsu bounded up, Erza just behind him with a serious look on her face.

"Hi guys!" Lucy chirped happily, before Natsu flung his arms around her, hugging her close to his body, and yelled, "Hey Luce!"

This time I couldn't stop the growl. It was out before I could even think to contain it, and I yanked Lucy away from him, pulling her back snug against my chest, and glared at him coldly. Lucy looked up at me with a sigh, and asked, "Really, Laxus? It was just a hug."

I looked down and argued, "That wasn't a hug. That was full body contact."

"Hey, don't be pulling my partner away like that!" Natsu yelled, refusing to acknowledge my warning, "And we can have full body contact if we want to!"

"Oh shit," Gray mumbled, shaking his head at the pink-haired man, "You are such an idiot, Natsu."

At least the ice mage understood the score. Lucy was mine. Too bad the dumbass didn't take the hint. I tightened my hold on her, as I stood even taller, and spoke, my voice low and dark, "No...the fuck...you can't."

"Okay, let's calm down here boys," Lucy said, laughing nervously as she attempted to dispell the tension, "Here's the deal. Laxus, Natsu is my best friend, nothing more. He's allowed to hug me. And Natsu, Laxus is...uh..." She stumbled over the last few words, and I realized, we'd never actually talked about what we were to each other. Now, faced with a situation where a man wanted his hands on her, I wished we already had. I wanted that distinction between them from here on out.

"Her boyfriend," I supplied gruffly, looking to her for approval, hoping she wouldn't be angry with me for assuming that position in her life.

My concern evaporated as she looked up at me in surprise, a smile blooming across her face, before she turned to address Natsu again, "Laxus is my boyfriend now, so that means you can't be breaking into my house all the time." My temper began to cool at her words, and a calm spread through my body, just in time for her to wreck it again, "And no sneaking into my bed after I go to sleep."

"What? He sleeps with you too?!" I snapped, my blood boiling at the thought of his body so close to hers, in her bed. My mind went to the things we'd done in bed together, and rage swept through me._ If that little piss ant so much as thought about touching Lucy in such a way, I'd fry him...I'd rip his arms right off his body._

Lucy turned in my arms and murmured, "Laxus, it won't be happening anymore, okay? I just told him that."

"Hey, why can't we sleep together anymore, Luce?" Natsu asked loudly, his face a mix of confusion and anger.

"Natsu, would you please quit saying it like that?" Lucy begged, looking between me and the Fire Fruitcake, "You're making it sound like something other than what it is."

My body tensed with the need to hit the little fucker. He was going to die today if he didn't back the fuck off. I was losing control with every word he spoke, and I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be able to contain it. I was saved, in a sense, by an unlikely source, as Gray stepped in, distracting the fire mage from his impending doom. Thumping Natsu in the forehead, he laughed snidely, "Please, this moron here couldn't possibly understand anything that complex. You should dumb it down for him."

"What the hell did you say to me, Pansy Popsicle?" Natsu snarled, launching a fist at the ice mage. Gray dodged the hit easily and followed up with one of his own, sending the fire mage shooting across the guild.

Lucy looked at her friend with a relieved expression, and sighed, "Thanks Gray."

"No problem, Lucy. You know I'll take any reason to kick his ass," the now half naked man answered, heading off to continue his fight with his rival, before turning around to address me, "Don't hurt her."

"Now that Natsu's out of the way, let's sit down and talk. I want to know what's going on between the two of you," Erza stated stiffly, pointing towards a table.

I bit back a retort, reminding myself that this was Lucy's team. I could do this, for her._ Damn, but I wanted to get the hell out of here._ I pulled a chair out for Lucy and then one for myself, and unceremoniously dropped myself into it. Erza sat opposite of us, and narrowed her eyes at me, before saying, "Now, explain yourself. Why are you two together?"

"We're dating," I answered shortly. I just couldn't relax, not with every eye in the guild on the three of us. They all wanted to know what had happened and how and when, and I just couldn't deal with all of it. I didn't like having everyone watching me like this. It was fucking with my nerves.

"We just got close during our job, Erza. With just the two of us there, we had a lot of time to talk. Turns out we get along really well, " Lucy covered, slipping her hand onto my leg, giving it a quick squeeze.

Erza nodded her head and then turned to me again, and asked, "What are your intentions to our Lucy?"

I sat there, itching to stand to my feet and walk the fuck out. I couldn't believe I was sitting here, having to answer for myself to a woman younger than me like some kind of pathetic teenager with a curfew. This was starting to piss me off, though granted, it didn't take much after dealing with Natsu. Lucy pressed closer to me, feeling me tense up again, and whispered in my ear, moving her hand dangerously high on my leg, "The quicker you answer her questions, the quicker we can get out of here...and be alone...just you...and me."

Hearing a odd bark of laughter, I turned to see Gajeel smirking in my direction, and I scowled at him, before facing the Titania again. "I have excellent intentions with Lucy. I intend to cook her dinner tonight, actually," I offered, ignoring the looks our guild mates were giving me.

"I had no idea you could cook, Laxus. That would be an acceptable date. Will this be your first one?" she continued, her expression softening a bit.

I took that as a good sign, and answered, "No, this is actually our second. Well, our second attempt, really."

"What do you mean?" the red-head questioned, tipping her head to the side in confusion.

Lucy responded for me, explaining, "Well, he had a date planned for us when our job was continued, but it got messed up when the thieves attacked." She stopped and looked up at me with a soft smile, and said, "It was such a nice date."

"Yeah," I snorted, pulling her chair closer to mine, so I could put my arm around her, "Until you hit your head and passed out on me."

"What?" Erza asked, her voice showing concern, "You got hurt, Lucy?"

The blonde smiled at her friend, and assured, "Yes, but I'm fine now. Laxus took really good care of me."

"He did?" the equip mage wondered, "How?"

"He called in a doctor to check me out, and got me some medicine for the pain," she said.

I chuckled a bit as she mentioned the meds, and said, "Yeah, that was interesting, for sure."

"Laxus," Lucy called out in warning, her eyes begging me to keep quiet.

"Oh, did the medicine make you feel funny?" Mira asked, walking up and taking the seat next to Erza, "They always make me pass right out."

My chuckle turned into a full blown laugh, as I quipped, "Oh, it made her funny, alright."

"Laxus!" she whined, using her hand to try to cover my mouth.

I pulled her hand away, and added, "She talks an awful lot on those pills..." My words halted as Lucy crawled up onto my legs, steadily trying to put her hand back over my mouth.

"Stop it! Don't tell that part!" she pouted, poking her lip out as she stayed in position on my lap to keep me silent about her rather revealing drug-induced confessions.

I laughed at her expression, and finding the sound muffled behind her hand, stuck my tongue out, licking over her skin.

"Don't lick me, you perv! We're in public!" she squeaked, wiping her hand on her pants, as her eyes roved around the room, taking in all the attention we had garnered.

Smirking at her, I wrapped my arms around her tightly and teased, "Never stopped us before, baby. Why let it bother you now?"

"Oh! You called her baby! Oh my God, you two are so cute!" Mira gushed, as Erza leaned in asking, "What does he mean, it never stopped you before?"

I rolled my eyes at Mira, rather irritated that she had called attention to my nickname for Lucy, then turned to the red-head to answer her question, when Lucy rushed, "Oh it's nothing, Erza. Anyway, we've gotta get going."

"I don't know, tease. The conversation just got interesting," I mused, as I settled back into the chair, getting comfortable, before turning to Erza, "Now, about my earlier comment, Lucy has a rather interesting habit of getting frisk-"

Lucy's hand clamped over my mouth before I could finish, though it made little difference to Mira as her eyes widened and then she dropped to the floor with a squeal of excitement. I smirked against Lucy's skin as Erza leaned forward, completely ignoring her passed-out guild mate and asked, "A habit of getting what?"

The blonde in my lap leaned close to me, speaking in a low fierce whisper, "I swear if you tell her another embarrassing thing about me, I'll make sure you end up living with that perpetual hard-on you were so worried about."

Pulling her hand from my mouth, I muttered, "You wouldn't," blanching at her rather cruel threat, even as I received a rather sympathetic "Damn" from Gajeel's corner of the room.

"Or maybe you'd like me to wear that yellow swimsuit for the guild's next trip to the beach. I'm sure a lot of people would find it attractive on me," she whispered insolently, knowing how much that would piss me off. She had me just where she wanted me.

I snarled low in my throat, as I envisioned all the men in the guild drooling after her, fucking her with their eyes, and snapped, "Don't you dare! There's barely enough there to cover your-" My argument went no further than that, as Lucy interrupted me with a look that promised retribution.

A choking response came from the Iron Dragon Slayer, and turning to him with a grimace, I found him banging a fist against his chest and a seriously blushing Wendy in the seat next to him._ I guess she heard all that too_, I thought.

"I see you get my meaning," she purred, smiling in smug satisfaction as she tapped my nose with her finger.

A growl slipped out of my mouth at her actions. I couldn't believe she'd just threatened me like that. Well, I'd never been one to go quietly, and I wasn't about to start now. Looking at the red-head across the table, I informed, "Sorry to say, it's time for us to go. We've got plans..."

I paused as Lucy offered an apology and stood up smiling, then I tossed out casually, "Yeah, it's way past time for her spanking."

Erza's face bloomed a bright red, her eyes widening in shock, as she sat there moving not a single inch, her mind obviously stuck on what I'd just said. Lucy gasped as I flung her over my shoulder, and turned to walk out, laughing boisterously as she screeched, "Don't tell them that! I told you that you aren't spanking me, you great big perv!"

The guild erupted into astonished gasps, howls of laughter, and wild catcalls, as we made our way to the door. I took a last look at the uproar I'd just caused, and smirked happily. _Ahh...the sweet taste of victory..._

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**_A/N: Oh Laxus - you are so fun to write!_**


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